


The Hand that Feeds

by w0b101



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-22 03:12:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10688607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/w0b101/pseuds/w0b101
Summary: Futaba Sakura and Akira Kurusu's relationship is thrown into turmoil after her adoptive father, Sojiro, finds out and disapproves. The two struggle to keep things going, but hiding this from Sojiro might be too much for them to handle, physically and mentally.A fair amount of fluff. Contains minimal spoilers at the moment, but that may change.





	1. Chapter 1

Akira looked to the door as it opened, and in walked Futaba. Every time he got to see her when it was just the two of them, his heart raced a little at the way she nervously held her hands behind her back, and the way she walked with just a little more hesitation and shyness in her steps. The time they got to spend together was something Akira valued more than anything else. But even the sight of the one he loved most couldn’t appease all the uneasiness within him. He needed to talk to her about something that had been on my mind since the night prior.

  
“Hey. . .” She said softly, wearing a delicate and innocent smile that was unlike the grin she wore around the other Phantom Thieves. Akira felt blessed to be the one capable of instilling that joy within her.  
He smiled back. “Good morning.”

  
A blush danced across her cheeks as she stepped deeper into Leblanc. “Uh, you said you wanted to talk about something?” She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her messaging app – indeed, Akira had requested her here to talk about something important. “I’m a little scared. . . You said it was urgent.” She rocked back and forth ever so slightly in a way that made him want to hold and steady her, but he had to save the sweet nothings for later and focus on the matter at hand.

  
This matter at hand was in some ways menial, and in some ways, a matter of life or death. The source of Akira’s anxiousness was simple; an innocent request made by his guardian for the year, Sojiro.

“Oh, and uh . . . could you not . . . you know, ‘get with’ Futaba?”

Last night, when they’d gone to visit the church as a family, Sojiro had asked Akira this small favor. And normally, he wouldn’t have minded it at all – if he hadn’t already been dating Futaba, that is. But still, despite his anxiety, he had to smile for Futaba as he spoke, trying to reassure her.

  
“It’s nothing to be scared about,” he said, trying to sound as kind as possible, even if he himself was frightened by what might happen. “We just need to talk . . . about Sojiro.”

  
Futaba furrowed her brow, a quizzical frown upon her face. “What about Sojiro?”

  
“It’s probably best if I just tell you. . . Have a seat.” She sat down, and Akira sat across from her, before beginning to recount the events of the previous night.

  
He told her about all the events of the previous evening; the conversation he and Sojiro had had while Futaba was at her mother’s grave, and the specific comment that had left him perplexed and anxious.

  
Futaba almost spit out her coffee when Akira reached the climax of his story. “Sojiro really said that?”

  
He nodded grimly. It seemed he wasn’t the only one frightened by this.

  
“Oh no. . . What’re we gonna do?” she asked, drinking her coffee with just the slightest degree more franticness. “If Sojiro finds out about us, is he gonna kick you out?”

  
“What? No.” he said, insistent and confident. “I mean . . . probably not?” he said, less confident this time.

  
“I was worried about this. . . What should we do? We can’t tell him, can we?”

  
Akira crossed his arms and leaned back in the booth, trying to think. “I don’t want to tell him . . . but dragging it on for longer than we need to might be a bad thing.”

  
Futaba rested her arms against the table, setting her chin atop her forearms. “That sounds right, but . . . I don’t really want to tell him either.”

 

“Yeah. . .” Akira frowned, but tried to seem confident for Futaba’s sake. He wanted to be someone she could rely on, after all. “Well, it’s Sojiro. I’m sure he won’t be that upset about it. We’ll just explain the situation.”

  
“You think so?” she asked, sitting up ever so slowly. Her petite frame swelled with just the slightest hint more confidence, and Akira couldn’t help but smile. He nodded.

  
“Alright. . . If you say so, Akira. When should we tell him?”

  
“How does tonight sound?”

  
“What?” she asked. “That’s way too sudden!” Her panicked tone and widened eyes were as cute as always.

  
“Isn’t everything way too sudden for you?” he asked teasingly, trying to elicit more of that nervous reaction he loved.

  
“H-Hey. . . Quit teasing me!” She slumped in the booth, and even if he felt a little guilty, Akira smile grew even wider.

  
He stood up and straightened out his apron. “Alright, alright. I’m sorry. How about I make you some more coffee to apologize?”

  
Futaba smiled, nodding childishly as she held out her cup. “That’s more like it.” Akira grabbed her cup and she stood, clasping her hands behind her back as always. “I’m gonna go play games in your room. Come upstairs when you’re done!”

  
“Will do.” Akira kissed Futaba’s forehead to send her off before she scurried upstairs. He watched fondly, releasing a loving sigh as he watched her go. He walked behind the counter and began the brewing process, just as Sojiro had taught him. After several months of filling in and closing up for Sojiro, Akira had gotten pretty good at this sort of thing. Coffee was almost second nature after the countless cups he’d made for customers and friends. It was so instinctual that when the door opened, he responded as though he were a real barista working in this place. “Welcome to Leblanc.”

  
“Oh. You’re working.” The deep voice caused Akira’s shoulders to tense up as Sojiro sauntered into the shop, taking a seat at the bar. “Didn’t expect you to be up, let alone watching the store on a Sunday. Making coffee for yourself?”

  
“No, Futaba’s upstairs.” Akira hoped he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt.

 

“Oh. Make me a cup too, then.” Sojiro set his hat down and looked around Leblanc idly. “I didn’t expect you to be such a big help in the store, you know. Maybe I should just retire and let you run the place.” He smiled and laughed.

  
Akira feigned a chuckle as his mind drifted to a comment Futaba had made during one of their earlier dates – that he could be the ‘second generation Leblanc owner.’ _Second generation, huh. . . He has no idea._ He tried to mask his nervousness by working just a tad faster. Making coffee was second nature to him, after all, so it was a good way to remain calm.

  
“Uh. . . Hey, Akira. What’s that?” Sojiro asked, pointing toward one of the cups of coffee.

  
“Did I do something wrong?” Akira looked down at the three cups he’d prepared and tried to figure out what was wrong. _They all look okay. . . Wait._

  
One of the cups had a latte art heart right in the middle of the brown sea of coffee. Whenever Akira made Futaba coffee while they were all alone, he’d put a heart on top just to give it a little extra oomph that made it more than a simple replication of Sojiro’s technique. _Oh, crap, I must’ve done it by force of habit._

  
“You put a heart on that one—“

  
“That one’s mine,” he said, desperately trying to cover his mistake.

  
“. . . What?” Sojiro looked utterly bewildered.

  
“I always put a heart in my coffee. Haven’t you noticed?” Akira did his best to sound as confident as possible. To solidify his act, he grabbed the cup and took a sip – and in his franticness, drank just a little too much. _Damn, that’s hot. . ._ He somehow managed to keep his face straight despite the scalding hot coffee pouring down his throat as he swallowed.

  
Sojiro looked from the cups to Akira. “Well, no. . . Wait, I watch you make coffee all the time. Do you really –“

  
“I’d love to keep talking, Sojiro, but I want to get Futaba her coffee before it gets cold. You know how she gets with cold coffee, yeah?” He laughed conspicuously and hoped it was enough to fool Sojiro.

  
“. . . Yeah, she does get pretty mad about that.” Sojiro laughed it off, just as planned. “I’ll watch the shop for now.”

  
“Thanks, Sojiro.” Akira wasted no time grabbing the two mugs and hurrying up the stairs, fleeing the lion’s den as fast as his legs would carry him. Without spilling his coffee of course.

  
He must’ve audibly sighed when he got up the stairs, because Futaba looked over and furrowed her eyebrows. “Is something wrong?” she asked as she whittled away at the enemy she fought in her game, the clicking and tapping of buttons filling the usually silent attic.

  
“I just ran into Sojiro.” He walked over to the sofa where she sat and set her coffee down in front of her. “Here’s your coffee.”

  
“Really? Talk about bad timing. Stupid Sojiro. . .” She paused her game and set the controller down, grabbing her designated cup. She smiled. “You put a little heart in it again. You’re so cute, pretty boy.”

 

“Wish you could’ve been down there when Boss saw it. I had to tell him it was mine.”

 

“Really?” Futaba giggled girlishly and took a long sip from her cup. “Talk about a close call. . . He probably thinks you’re a total sap now.”

  
“Don’t tease me.” He patted the top of her head, scratching her scalp and running it through her hair. She pressed up against his hand, nuzzling into it.

  
“I love it when you pat my head. . . Having a boyfriend is the best.” Futaba closed her eyes and let the world drift by for a moment.

  
“Having a girlfriend isn’t so bad either. . . Though, I hope Boss comes to like us being together as much as we do.”

  
The serene moment slowly dissolved as Futaba opened her eyes, worried. “Oh, right. . . We gotta tell Sojiro. When do you wanna do that?”

  
“We could go downstairs and tell him now.”

  
“After the whole heart in the coffee thing? Really?”

  
Akira laughed. “True, true. . . That’d be kind of embarrassing. We’ll tell him tomorrow after I get home from school.”

  
“Mm. . . Okay. I guess I need to be brave.” Futaba, with a look of determination on her face, went back to smashing up bad guys. Akira watched her with fascination; something about the utter focus on her face while she played was cute. He drank his own coffee while he enjoyed the show.

 

Akira sat in class and listened to Kawakami’s lecture, hand propped up underneath his chin. Well, “listened” is being a little generous – he stared out the window and let his mind wander instead, his thoughts constantly drifting to the conversation he had been preparing himself for through the whole night prior.

 

_I’m sure it’ll be fine. . . But I can’t stop worrying for some reason._

  
He was drawn from his doldrums by a paw reaching out from the pocket within his desk, pressing against his torso. Morgana, who made a habit of lounging inside his desk, seemed to be trying to get his attention.

  
“Hey, something got you down, Joker?”

  
“No. . .” Akira muttered quietly, trying not to attract any attention from his classmates. “Just thinking about something.”

  
“Huh. You must be really out of it today if you’re not even checking your phone.” Morgana licked his paw casually as he spoke.

  
“My phone?”

  
“Yeah. It’s been going off down here for the past ten minutes.”

  
Akira widened his eyes and reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone, and sure enough, it had a few notifications on it. He unlocked it to get a glimpse at who’d been texting him. A few of the messages were from Ryuji; stuff along the lines of “Ugh, class is so boring,” and “Man, I can’t wait to get outta here. You?”

  
He shot Ryuji a ‘Same’ message before backing out of the menu and addressing the texts that caught his more immediate concern.

  
Futaba’s texts read as follows:

  
Futaba: _Hey, pretty boy. I know you’re in class, but I couldn’t wait to talk to you._

  
Futaba: _My new game came in! This weekend, we should totally play it in your room. It looks really fun!_

  
A soft smile danced across Akira’s face as he observed the frantic nature of his girlfriend, even though they were just words on a screen. Little things like this were always enough to pick Akira up.

  
Akira: _Sounds like fun. I’ll set aside time for it._

  
Futaba: _Can’t wait!_

  
The messages were short and innocent, but for some reason they made sitting through class more bearable. Akira let his thoughts drift to happier things rather than the constant dread hanging over him. He wanted this weekend to come even faster, now. He wanted to see Futaba’s shoulders bunch up as she held the game out to him, beaming with anticipation. He wanted to hear her feeble attempts at trash talk while they played against each other, followed by her adorable apologies and pleas for forgiveness, which he readily gave. He wanted to sit next to her on his bed and smile as her head pressed against his shoulder, and the world froze as he sat in utter bliss for just a while. Those were the moments that made everything he went through worth it.

  
_That’s why this has to go well,_ he thought. _I have to make Sojiro see that Futaba and I are right for each other._

  
With a new and strengthened determination, Akira went back to not paying attention in class, now certain that he was ready for this afternoon.

Futaba was standing outside of Leblanc before he had even gotten back. “H-Hey, hot stuff,” she muttered, trying to smile and sound as casual as ever.

  
“Are you nervous?” he asked, trying to do the exact same thing.

  
“Yeah. . .” She inhaled deeply before psyching herself up. “But I can’t let myself get down. We have to do this!"

  
“Yeah.”

  
“But still. . .” she said, her determination quickly wavering. “I’ve never been this worried about talking to Sojiro before. It’s like he’s a final boss or something. . .”

  
A laugh escaped Akira’s lungs, despite the gravity of the situation. “C’mon, it’s nothing like that. We’re going to go in, tell him, and he’ll approve. It’s all going to go well.”

  
“Well, if it’s you saying that, Akira, I can’t help but think it’ll be true. . . Okay then. Let’s smash this boss!”

  
“C’mon. Don’t treat Sojiro like a boss in a video game.”

  
“But everyone calls him Boss!” She protested and pouted.

  
“Oh. . . That’s true, actually. Then, yeah. Let’s smash this boss.”

  
“Whoa. . .” Futaba looked at him with awe and admiration. “It’s so much cooler when you say it!”

  
The couple laughed and walked into Leblanc, somehow distracting themselves from the conversation they were about to have. Sojiro looked at them as they walked in.

  
“Ah, you’re back,” said Boss, setting down his newspaper as always. The store was empty, only filled with the background noise of the TV that Sojiro always kept on to listen to the news. “And Futaba’s with you.”

  
The happiness that Futaba and Akira were feeling was quickly replaced with dread as the weight of the situation came to bear down upon them with full force. Akira took it into his hands to speak first, knowing well how flustered Futaba could get in these situations.

  
“Yeah, we’re home.” He picked a casual, but suggestive statement that might hint at a little more ‘togetherness’ between them. In his head, it was masterful. In reality, it was kind of silly – Futaba didn’t even live here.

  
“School go well?” Boss obviously didn’t take the hint. Not that it was well placed at all.

 

“Yeah.” _My idea didn’t work. . ._ His confidence started to fade as he was left fumbling for a way to segue into the conversation of the hour.

  
“U-Uhm, So-Sojiro?” asked Futaba, barely managing to find the resolve to speak up. Akira silently thanked her for her bravery. “We wanted to talk to you about something. . .”

  
“Oh. . . Well, alright. Is it about coffee? I already said I taught you everything I know,” he said with a laugh as he walked out from behind the counter. He took a seat in the booth. Futaba and Akira, knowing they’ve come too far to turn back now, looked at each other and exchanged nods of steely resolve before sitting down across from him.

  
“It’s not about coffee,” said Akira, responding to the laugh with a smile of his own. “It’s about . . . How do I put it?” he asked, brow furrowing as he thought. Akira was about to open his mouth to speak again when he was interrupted by Futaba’s outburst.

  
“Akira stole my heart!” she cried, her voice coming out high pitched and nervous as a result of the stress of the situation. Immediately after, her eyes widened and she clapped her hands over her mouth, as if doing so could suppress what she’d said. As for Sojiro and Akira, it was a tie as to who looked more dumbfounded.

  
“You already told me about that, Futaba. Remember?” Sojiro spoke cautiously, as only a parent can. He glanced at Akira as if to ask ‘Is she alright?’

  
Akira could only shrug and watch.

  
“N-No, not like that! I mean, yeah, that did happen, but he stole my heart in a different way too!” she said frantically, poking her index fingers against one another repeatedly, unable to make eye contact with Sojiro.

  
Sojiro was baffled. “I . . . uh, Futaba, what exactly are you. . .” His eyes slowly widened further as the realization dawned on him.

  
“Sakura-san. . . Futaba and I are dating,” said Akira in the calmest, most respectful voice he could possibly muster. The words flowed out into the room, but were eaten up by the deafening silence that followed. Even the TV didn’t seem like it could pierce the quiet that hung over Leblanc.

  
It was a long time before Sojiro spoke up. “I thought I told you. . .” he said, the authoritative tone slowly building up in his voice.

  
“I-It’s complicated,” Akira said, struggling to defend himself. “I would have absolutely respected your request, Sakura-san . . . That is, if Futaba and I weren’t already dating.”

  
“W-What?” Sojiro’s exclamation caused Futaba to quiver. Akira wanted to hold her and reassure her, but now probably wasn’t the time. “How long have you two been doing this?” he continued.

  
“Since September.” Behind Akira’s glasses, he tried to keep a face of stony resolution, but this wasn’t going as well as he had been hoping, and the doubt and fear was creeping into his expression.

  
“September? And you didn’t _tell_ me?” Sojiro’s anger seemed to escalate with each clarification.

  
“W-We thought you’d be mad. . .” Futaba’s voice came out small and quiet.

  
“Well, you were right. . .” Sojiro pinched the bridge of his nose as his brow furrowed, frustration written into the creases on his forehead. “I’ve let her go up into your room alone countless times. . . How far have you two –“

  
“S-Sojiro!” shouted Futaba, her cheeks growing redder with embarrassment by the second. “We haven’t done anything! We’ve barely even held hands! I-I mean, I put my head on his shoulder sometimes, and sometimes he pats it, but nothing more than that! We haven’t even kissed!”

  
Sojiro’s anger turned back to bewilderment for a brief moment. “What? Really? When I was your age, if I brought a girl up into my room, then . . .” Sojiro smiled briefly as memories of his youth filled his mind, but shortly after his anger returned. “Wait, that’s not the point! I can’t believe you did this without my permission!”

  
“I’m sorry, Sakura-san,” said Akira, unsure of what else to do. Normally when faced by the tirade of an adult, he could at least think of some witty comment, or expect someone else to, but this time he was frozen. Maybe it was Sojiro’s presence, or maybe it was how badly he wanted his permission. “We shouldn’t have waited so long to tell you. But, if you’ll let me. . . I’d like to stay in a relationship with Futaba. I’m in love with her. So . . . Please.” His voice was cool and collected, but he pleaded with his eyes, and his leg bounced up and down relentlessly, his nerves getting the better of him.

  
“I’m sorry too, Sojiro.” Futaba looked as though she was about to cry. “But he makes me so happy. . . I promise he hasn’t treated me badly, and he never will. So please?”

  
“. . .” Sojiro remained still for a while, then moved, only to run his fingers through his goatee and think. His face darkened, and Akira couldn’t tell if it was in frustration or in contemplation. The silence dropped over Leblanc like a thick blanket once more. Many moments passed, and Akira wasn’t sure if he would ever leave this café. But eventually, Sojiro spoke.

  
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want you to be with Futaba.”

  
Akira’s heart sank faster than it ever had before.

  
“Sojiro, why!?” Futaba asked, sounding angry and upset in equal portions.

  
“It’s not that I don’t think you’re responsible. . .” Sojiro sighed as he explained. “But you’re older than her, for one. . . And two, you’ve only known each other for a few months. How do you know if you’re in love?” His argument was a tad too convincing for Akira’s liking. His shoulders bunched up in discomfort, but Sojiro wasn’t done. “Lastly, with those Phantom Thieves antics you’ve got going on, who knows what kind of trouble you’re getting up to? I just don’t know enough about it to safely let you get Futaba even more involved. . . I’m sorry, but I don’t want Futaba getting hurt.”

  
Futaba’s anger swelled within her as she listened until it all threatened to burst out. She stood up in her booth, clenching her fists at her side. “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You probably just think he’s some kind of womanizer because you were one when you were younger! Well, not everyone is like you! Stupid Sojiro!” She didn’t hesitate for a moment before storming out of Leblanc.

  
Sojiro watched her, dumbfounded, before a sigh of resignation passed his lips. He looked to Akira.

  
Akira didn’t look up from the table, simply staring downward. His expression was obscured by his frizzy hair and glasses, but even then it was easy to see that he was defeated. It was a long while before he spoke. He stood. “Thank you for your time, Boss.”

  
“Don’t mention it. . .” Looking at the kid he’d been asked to care for so sad, Sojiro felt a pang of sadness in his chest. “It’s nothing against you personally. . . I just have to protect her. I hope you understand.”

  
“I do.” Without another word, or even another glance, Akira went upstairs.

 

 

Morgana hopped up onto the bed to get his leader’s attention after his comments were ignored for the third time. “Hey, are you even listening to me?”

  
Akira laid back in his bed, staring at the ceiling in his Shujin uniform. He didn’t have enough effort in him to take it off. The blank expression on his face betrayed none of what he was thinking as he glanced from the roof above to Morgana. “Sorry. . . I’m kinda’ tired.”

  
Morgana licked his paw and looked at Joker skeptically. “That can’t be right. . . You never want to get to bed right away. I normally have to make you.” He made himself comfortable and curled up, awaiting an explanation. “What’s going on?”

  
“It’s complicated.” Akira returned his cold stare to the ceiling above. “Boss doesn’t want me and Futaba to be together. For a number of reasons, but the point is . . . he’s told me to stay away from her.”

  
Morgana closed his eyes and nodded. “I see. . . Well, Boss takes matters regarding Futaba pretty seriously, so I’m not too surprised. But what are you planning to do about it, Joker?”

  
“I don’t know.” His brow furrowed with frustration at the feeling of helplessness inside that wouldn’t die down. Silence fell over the room for a while, but it was broken by the sound of Akira’s phone buzzing next to him. By force of habit, he grabbed it and took a look.

  
His heart rose and sank in equal parts when he saw that the message was from Futaba. He opened it immediately.

  
Futaba: _Hey._

  
The message was short. Too short for comfort. Akira texted back anxiously, his fingers dexterously gliding across the screen.

  
Akira: _Are you alright?_

  
Futaba: _I’m fine._

  
Futaba: _No. I’m not fine. I can’t believe stupid Sojiro! All the things he said about you were so mean! >:(_

  
Akira tried to find the heart to smile at the silly facial expression and her cute texts, but it was ultimately too hard for him and his lips curled down into a frown again.

  
Akira: _Don’t be mad at Boss. He’s just trying to protect you._

  
Futaba: _I don’t need to be protected, though. Sojiro wouldn’t even listen to me when I told him how happy you made me. . ._

  
Akira: _Yeah. . . We’re sort of at a standstill, huh? He doesn’t seem to want to hear what we have to say._

  
Futaba: _Yep. This is so frustrating. . ._

  
Akira’s frown grew deeper as the conversation progressed. For some reason, he’d hoped that Futaba might bring good news, or at least a pick-me-up, but it didn’t seem like that was coming any time soon. He inhaled sharply and sent the message he needed to send.

  
Akira: _What do you want to do?_

  
Futaba: _That’s obvious. I want to be with you. . . I never want to leave your side._

  
Futaba: _I don’t care what Sojiro says. I love you._

  
Akira: _I love you too._ He sent this back half out of habit, but half out of a necessity to reaffirm his feelings to her.

  
Akira: _But what are we supposed to do if Boss is just going to say no?_

  
Futaba: _. . . That’s a good question. . ._

  
Akira tapped his phone’s screen a few times, thinking of what to say. The solution, at least to him, was obvious; all he had to do was go behind Sojiro’s back. But he didn’t want to do that; he respected Sojiro, and didn’t want to spit on the kindness he’d been given over this past half a year. What he should’ve done was respect Sojiro’s request and left his daughter alone. . . But he didn’t want to do that either. He loved Futaba. To him, she was a necessity. His jaw tightened as he came to his decision.

  
Akira: _Why don’t we just do what we’ve been doing? We were dating behind his back for a while. We can just go back to it._

  
Futaba: _I think that’s our only choice. . . But at the same time, I doubt Sojiro will let you anywhere near me alone. He’ll be a lot more cautious about us hanging out._

  
Akira: _True. But we are Phantom Thieves. We’ll have to be more inventive about where we go and when we go there, but it shouldn’t be too hard. Plus, we always have texts._

  
Futaba: _That’s right. Yeah, that’s right! We’re master thieves. We can outsmart stupid Sojiro. Then that’s what we’re going to do! I’ll brainstorm a bunch of different ways for us to get together. This’ll be a cinch!_

  
Akira: _Remember, this should only be a temporary solution. I’m excited too, but we should also think of ways we can convince Boss to let us be together._

  
Futaba: _Okay. I’ll keep an open mind to that, too._

  
Futaba: _I’m really tired. Tonight took a ton out of me. . . I’m gonna go to bed. Goodnight._

  
Akira: _Goodnight. I love you._

  
Futaba: _Love you too!_

  
Akira lowered his phone to his side and let out a long sigh, one of equal parts relief and anxiety. Futaba still wanted to be with him, and wasn’t afraid to go behind Sojiro, so at the very least he wasn’t losing his girlfriend. But still, a nagging guilt tugged at his heartstrings; was this really the best course of action? _Should I really be going behind Sojiro’s back?_

  
The answer wouldn’t come, no matter how much he thought. He closed his eyes and desperately tried to get some sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Futaba and Akira officially kick off their plan to date in secret.

 

            The school week had passed uneventfully for Akira, but it still felt like every day had been eons long. His anticipation for the weekend combined with concern about his Sojiro situation overwhelmed any focus he could’ve possibly maintained, so he was ecstatic when he finally awoke on Sunday and didn’t have to think about school. He got to exchange these menial worries for a completely new set of concerns, about what he was going to do today, and how he was going to get away with it.

            His phone buzzed as soon as he’d finished getting dressed, and he checked the message, already fully aware of who the sender was.

 

            Futaba: _Hey, boyfriend! I’m excited to hang out today._

Futaba: _What’s the plan? We can’t hang out in your room, but I really wanna play that game!_

Akira smiled. Even though the week had been hard, Futaba’s energetic nature had slowly started picking up again as time went on. For that, at least, he was thankful. He texted back.

            Akira: _Don’t worry. We’ll play in your room. I’ll bring the console._

Akira: _Now all I have to worry about is sneaking past Sojiro without him immediately thinking I’m going to see you._  

            Futaba: _Good luck, Joker! Sending my energy._ ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

            Akira smiled softly at the small emoji on his screen, glad that at least some semblance of their normal relationship was still around. He sent back an ‘on my way’ message and put his phone in his pocket. “Morgana. I’m gonna’ be gone for a while.”

            “Going to see Futaba, yeah?” said the boy's cat companion as he idly paced around the room. 

            “Yeah.”

            “Alright. I’ll just hang out for the day, I guess. And don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on Boss. I’ll sneak right on over if it looks like he’s going home.”

            “You’re a life saver.” Akira grabbed his bag and set the retro game console, as well as some controllers, inside, before hiking it up over his shoulder.

            “Just remember that you owe me.”

            “I’ll get you some sushi next time I go out,” said Akira as he started making his way downstairs.

            Morgana widened his eyes and purred. “Sushi. . .” He smiled in simple delight at the thought. “Looking forward to it.”

           

            It wasn’t too hard to sneak out through the back entrance without Sojiro seeing him. After all, Sojiro hardly paid attention to what was going on in the café at all unless he had a pretty lady for a customer. Akira arrived at the Sakura residence without any difficulty and rang the doorbell. He gave a quick cursory glance to his surroundings, keeping an eye out for Sojiro.

            Futaba opened the door and ushered Akira inside. “Quick, get inside! We don’t want anyone to see you!”

            Akira followed her hurried gestures with a bemused smile on his face. “Are you worried?”

            “Of course I am! All of this is so stressful. . .” She sighed, but didn’t stay down for long as a jovial smile formed on her face. “But it’s also kind of exhilarating, too. We’re like the forbidden lovers in old books.”

            Her boyfriend cocked an eyebrow at the comparison; it wasn’t untrue, but the endings of those books tended to be concerning. Nonetheless, he wrote it off for the time being as he hoisted up his bag. “Don’t worry about Sojiro. Morgana’s watching him for us. I brought the console.”  

            Futaba bounced up and down with glee as she snatched the bag from him and immediately began heading toward her room. “Alright! You’re gonna love this game, Akira! It’s one of those old retro fighting games. I’ve emulated a few, but playing it on the real console is gonna be a blast! Can’t promise I won’t destroy you, though,” she jeered with excitement.

            As always, Akira allowed himself to be on the receiving end of any trash talk. “Looking forward to it,” he said, cool and collected as always. In reality, he tended to be pretty okay at these kinds of games, but he couldn’t just deny Futaba her enthusiasm and trash talking. She was far, far too cute.

 

            Futaba went upstairs and hooked up the console, and just like that, digital fists began to fly. At first, she knew the game better than Akira did, but he slowly started to gain ground as he tested out more characters and playstyles. She still had the lead, but he was catching up!

            “No – No! What?” Futaba shouted in disbelief as her character dropped to the floor, knocked out. Akira emerged the victor. “That’s so not fair! The startup on that move is way too short!” Akira watched her outburst with an amused smile on his face as she stood up and crossed her arms in frustration. “I can’t believe you, Akira. . . You must be some kind of god. No matter what game I bring, you always do really good. . .” She seemed equal parts annoyed and impressed.

            “What can I say? I get lucky,” he said, still in his chair. He wouldn’t admit that he spent far too many hours practicing any game he could get his hands on to impress her, after all.

            “No way. With reads like that, you _have_ to be practicing! What’s your secret?” she asked, now smiling playfully; her annoyance after losing never lasted long in the face of her charismatic boyfriend. 

            Akira, always one for theatrics, stood and turned away from her dramatically. “I’ll never tell,” he said, a cocky smirk on his face.

            “Joker! Not cool!” She giggled as she leapt at his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Tell me!” she insisted as she jokingly wrestled with him, rocking him from side to side. Akira laughed at her eccentricity and began to fight back, turning around to poke and prod at her. 

            “Never,” he insisted, neither giving their ground with their words or with their bodies. Their laughs echoed through the Sojiro residence as the fight came from the console into the real world.

            “A-Akira, stop it – snrrk! That tickles!” Futaba burst out into laughter as he began tickling her sides, unable to control herself. Akira’s wicked grin spread further while he maintained this horrific onslaught. “I’ll – I’ll get you!” she spoke through contagious laughter.

            Making a last ditch attempt to emerge victorious in the real world, Futaba leapt forward at her boyfriend, pouncing onto him. Despite her petite frame, they collided with force, and Akira, who certainly hadn’t been expecting such retaliation from the pint-sized girl, stumbled backwards. He fell to the floor with an audible _thunk_ as Futaba fell on top of him. The laughter ceased.

            “Ugh. . .” Futaba set her arms on the ground and pushed herself upward. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to . . .” Her voice faded from the air as she realized the situation she was in.

            She was lying on top of Akira, who had fallen beneath her. Their bodies came into contact, her unintentionally straddling him as he groaned in pain and surprise. This didn’t startle her so much; they’d cuddled before, and often, so being in contact wasn’t something she found uncomfortable. What stole her breath and rattled her mind was the face of the boy beneath her – so near to her own, so soft and vulnerable. She had thought about that face often, and what she’d like to do to it, but no matter how hard she tried she always felt like she was moving too fast, or that she’d mess up somehow. But now, with it so close, she struggled to think about anything other than that repressed desire to bring her lips to his.

            Akira raised a hand to his head and rubbed the spot of impact where he’d collided with the hard floor. “Ow. . . Futaba, are you alright?” he asked, his voice laced with concern and worry.

            “Y-Yeah! I’m fine!” she said, a tad too frantically for even her own tastes. “Are . . . Are _you_ okay?”

            “Think so. . .” He started to sit up, though he too slowly came to terms with the situation. His mind started to race the more he thought about what was happening, and how close he was to Futaba, her face looming over his own. Just like her, he’d always wanted to go further than just hand holding and cuddling, but she was so delicate; he couldn’t bring himself to push her to do anything she was uncomfortable with.

            “Good. . . Good.” She said this, punctuating the moment and putting an end to the situation. Or that’s what she had intended to do. But try as she might, she couldn’t move. She didn’t _want_ to move. Not away from him, at least. She spoke up again, quietly and intensely all the same. “Hey, Akira. . .”

            He raised his eyebrows in response, but couldn’t speak; something about the emotions bursting forth from such a small girl, for whom he cared so much, overwhelmed him and left him powerless to act.

            “Do you think I could . . .” Her eyelids drooped slowly shut as their faces drifted closer together. She had started to ask for permission, but didn’t really care to receive it. For reasons even she couldn’t identify, she had to do this. Now seemed like the perfect time.

            The distance between them shortened. And shortened. Akira sat in perfect stillness as he waited, not dense enough to not understand what was going on but not brave enough to act of his own accord. The inches turned to centimeters, until they were mere breaths away from each other.

            A knock on the door shook both of the teenagers to their cores. “Futaba? Are you in there?”

            Sojiro.

            Futaba sat up rapidly, eyes wide, total shock setting into her body. “I-It’s Sojiro!” she hissed to Akira.

            Akira was too surprised to be disappointed as she pulled away. He too sat up as the two rapidly untangled themselves from one another. _I’ve got to hide,_ he thought as his eyes were immediately drawn to the closet Futaba had hidden in way back when, the first time he’d seen her.

            “I heard a thud,” Boss continued.

            “I-I’m fine! Just slipped!” She laughed nonchalantly before turning to Akira, whispering fiercely. “I thought Mona was watching him for us!”

            “I don’t know what happened! He said he would!” Akira whispered back.

            “Doesn’t matter – hide!” Upon receiving the command, Akira slid open the door to the closet and shut it tightly, allowing the darkness to wrap around him.

            Not a moment too soon, Sojiro opened the door and stepped inside Futaba’s room. “Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her strange responses as he looked around.

            To the unknowing observer, her room looked exactly as it had been last time Sojiro was inside, save for one important and all-too-noticeable detail.

            _The console!_ Akira breathed as shallowly as he could, unable to see what was going on outside. All he could do was hope Sojiro didn’t notice.

            “Like I said, I’m fine, Sojiro,” Futaba insisted, trying her best to sound calm, though her demeanor was slightly betrayed by her bright red cheeks and wide eyes.

            “Are you sure? You’re really red. . . Could you be sick?” asked Sojiro, parental nature kicking in as he stepped forward to feel her forehead.

            “N-no!” She jumped backwards and forced herself to laugh. “I don’t feel bad at all. Just kinda embarrassed to be falling down in my own room, that’s all!” Yet another awkward laugh forced its way through her lips, determined to consolidate her act.

            “Alright, if you say so. . .” He turned to leave, but his eyes focused on the console. “Oh, hey. . . Have you always had that?”

            _Dammit. I’m trusting you to come up with a reasonable explanation, Futaba._ Akira crossed his fingers and prayed.

            “I, uh, bought it! From the second hand store!” She nodded as though to confirm this to herself.

            “Really?” Sojiro stroked his goatee and smiled. “Well I’ll be . . . I remember when they first started selling consoles like these.”

            “W-Wooow, Sojiro. You’re, like, so experienced.” Futaba raised the pitch of her voice and tried to sound ditzy, just as she’d learned – after all, the only experiences she had had with acting were Ann’s examples.

            They weren’t good examples.

            Fortunately, Sojiro was more gullible than he was with most when it came to Futaba. “Yeah, I do know a thing or two about technology, believe it or not. Nowhere near as much as you, of course. . . But man, this brings back memories.” He stepped over to the console and looked over it. “You’ve got two controllers?”

            “Y-Yeah! I like to, um, practice against myself sometimes. The computers are just toooo easy for me.” She smiled a plastic smile and desperately hoped Sojiro would leave sometime soon.

            “That’s great.” He grinned widely as an idea popped into his head. “Say, what do you say we play a few rounds? You and your old man, yeah?”

            “W-what?” She blinked in utter shock. This went the exact opposite direction than she had planned.

            “We can play together! I used to be pretty good at this kind of thing, lemme tell you. If I didn’t have a date that night, sometimes me and the boys would get together and play games just like this.” His eyes twinkled as he fondled his goatee, thinking back on his golden days.

            “I-I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. . .”

            Sojiro sighed. “Look, I know you’re still mad at me about Akira.” He sat down on her bed. “But I’m really just trying to protect you. You don’t need to worry about boyfriends or any of that stuff yet. You’re still young, and those things don’t last at your age.”

            Futaba bit her lip and looked toward the ground, brow furrowing while he spoke. She knew he was trying to protect her, but. . .

            “But even if you’re mad, I think we should put it past us. And what better way to do that than some good old bonding time over something we both enjoy?”

            Futaba, despite knowing that her boyfriend was still in the closet, desperately awaiting freedom, nodded. “Okay, Sojiro. You’re right. That sounds like fun.”

            Sojiro’s concerned stare quickly shifted into a grin of childlike glee. “Really? I’m glad you think so!” He paced over to the console and sat down in the seat that had previously been Akira’s. “What games have you got here, anyway?” he asked as he perused.

            “Sorry, Akira. . .” She whispered to herself as she sat down. “I-I’ve got all kinds! Let’s try and find a fun one. . .”

            Akira sat back in the closet as he listened to the conversation, closing his eyes. _Might as well get comfortable,_ he thought to himself as he let his mind wander. _Talk about bad timing, too. . ._ His brain was clouded with thoughts of the would-be kiss, and how desperately he wished that Sojiro could have arrived just a few minutes later. He shook his head and forced himself to remain calm as his thoughts drifted.

 

            “Akira? Akira?”

            Akira’s eyelids fluttered as Futaba’s voice roused him from his sleep, her arm lightly shaking his shoulder. _I fell asleep?_ He raised his hands to his eyes and tried to wipe the grogginess away. “What time is it?”

            “Almost eleven.”

            “Really?” He scratched the back of his head and stood up as Futaba stepped backwards, giving him some room. “You and Sojiro played together for that long?”

            “Keep your voice down. I want to make sure he’s asleep,” she whispered before nodding.

            “Oh. . . Hope you had fun,” Akira said in a hushed tone, only a tad envious that Sojiro had gotten more time out of his video game date with Futaba than he had.

            “Yeah. . . Sorry about all that. I didn’t know what to say, so I kind of just went with it. . . I hope it wasn’t too uncomfortable in there.” She laughed nervously. Pangs of guilt rippled through Futaba’s chest as she thought about how angry her boyfriend must have been that she wasted his entire Sunday, and made him sit in a closet no less.

            “It wasn’t bad at all. I managed to fall asleep, didn’t I?” he said with a quiet laugh. In truth, he lied; the closet was hot and uncomfortable, and sleeping sitting down while wearing his Sunday best wasn’t exactly at the top of Akira’s list of favored sleeping positions. Of course, he’d never tell her that. Not when she looked so guilty.

            “I guess you’re right.” She sighed. “Are you, uh, gonna go home?” she asked hesitantly as she was reminded of what they had planned to have happened, and the sudden turn of events that had almost gotten her her first kiss.

            “I probably should. If I’m not in Leblanc when Sojiro shows up there tomorrow, he’ll know something’s up. . . And I certainly don't want to risk him catching me in here.”  

            “Okay. Let me help you get packed, then,” she said, trying her best to not sound disappointed. The duo went about unplugging the console and controllers and setting them in Akira’s school bag. Still, Futaba couldn’t lift her spirits even if the crisis was behind them. “This whole dating behind Sojiro’s back thing is harder than we thought it was gonna be, huh?”

            “Yeah, I guess.” Akira’s expression was unreadable, but the gears of his mind turned as he tried to process this newfound difficulty, and struggled to think of ways to get around it. He looked over to Futaba and saw her furrowed brow and tiny frown. _I can’t let today end like this. . . I’ve gotta cheer her up somehow._  

            He cracked a smile, his charismatic charm somehow managing to manifest even in this dire circumstance. “But you’re worth it. I’ll sleep in as many closets as I have to if it means spending time with you.”

            His smile was infectious. Futaba giggled at the tacky line. “You’re such a dork, Akira. . . But still, I’m glad. We’ll work this out somehow.”

            “We will.” He hoisted his bag over his shoulder and walked toward her door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Futaba.”

            “See you.” She smiled, though her expression grew perplexed and curious for just a moment. “Um, Akira?”

            He looked back to her. “Yeah?”

            She thought about asking him for what she’d wanted earlier. She could never forgive Sojiro for robbing her of such a perfect moment, but even if all had gone wrong today, maybe if she still got that, she’d be satisfied. It would be on her mind forever if she didn’t ask now.

            “. . . Never mind. Text me when you have plans for next time, okay?” A weak, but nonetheless adorable smile graced her pale visage. 

            He smiled in return. “I will,” he said, before cracking the door open slowly and silently slinking toward the door of the Sakura residence, leaving Futaba cursing herself in her room for her lack of bravery.

            Akira sighed after escaping the house and started to walk back to Leblanc. _That Morgana. . . I’ll have to have a word with him about his sushi._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite their discouraging failed attempt, Akira and Futaba have far from given up on their relationship.

Akira tapped his fingertips against his wooden desktop as he stared out the window of his classroom. Mondays were usually pretty high up on the list of things he didn’t enjoy, but today class was especially torturous, considering how he couldn’t get his mind off of how last night had gone. The lectures droned on in the air, but he couldn’t bring himself to listen to a single word his teachers said.

The only thing that shook him from his daze was his phone going off. As always, he reached into his pocket and reached for his phone, though he was interrupted by the gravelly voice of Mr. Ushimaru. 

“Kurusu-kun, pay attention! You’re always dozing off in class!” The coarse voice shouted toward him as the students all went dead silent, more focused on the scolding than they ever were on the class itself. As he barked through the last few words of his insult he gripped his chalk tightly between his fingers, pulled his arm backwards, and threw the chalk as though it were a lethal projectile right towards Akira’s forehead.

As if by second nature, Akira moved his head just enough to the side that the chalk sailed by him. A quiet, but still present “Ooh” of fascination echoed throughout the classroom as he made it look like dodging the teacher’s chalk was effortless.

Akira hadn’t necessarily meant to disrespect his teacher by doing this, but his instincts from fighting shadows and dodging death by mere inches had kicked in. He directed his gaze to Ushimaru, who now looked even more furious than before.

“Kurusu. . . If you care so little about my class, then go sit in the hallway! We’ll see if you appreciate not paying attention when it comes time for exams!” He jabbed a finger toward the door and stared daggers into Akira.

Akira remained perfectly silent as he grabbed his bag and stood. Kids around the room whispered, but at this point he’d gotten used to toning out the harsh remarks made at his expense.

            Out in the hallway, he leaned against the wall and let his back slowly slide down until he was seated, sighing with resignation. _I guess I deserved it. I wasn’t paying attention, after all._

            Morgana poked his head out from within Akira’s bag and looked up to his caretaker. “Hey, are you really alright? You haven’t been focusing for days now.”

            “Yeah. Sorry.” Akira let the silence ring through the air for a bit before inhaling sharply. “No, I guess I’m not okay. It’s this whole situation with Futaba.”

            “It’s distracting you that much?” asked the inquisitive cat.

            Akira pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought. “It wasn’t this hard before. . . I didn’t _have_ to dedicate thought to when and how I’d get to spend time with Futaba. But now, we have to plan so carefully. . . And so far, it hasn’t even paid off.”

            Morgana frowned and furrowed his brow in obvious thought. “Have you considered talking to Sojiro again?”

            “He wouldn’t listen to me if I did.” He slumped forward and tried to think of solutions to his predicament, again letting it consume his thoughts.

            “Sounds like a tough break. But you should still check that text message you got in class.”

            _Oh, right._ Akira slid his phone out of his pocket and opened his messaging app.

            Futaba: _Yo, Joker!_

Futaba: _Sorry for texting during school, but I wanted to talk about an idea for our next date._

            Akira smiled at the thought of getting to have a little brainstorm to take his mind off of things. He texted back.

            Akira: _No worries. Class is boring anyway._

            Futaba: _Glad you think so!_

Futaba: _Have you thought of any ways for us to get together? Your room is out of the question, and my room seems a little too risky._

            Akira: _Yeah. Not like we really know anywhere else. Guess we’ll have to get together in public from now on._

            Akira furrowed his brow.

            Akira: _If you’re okay with that, that is._

            Futaba: _Aww, you’re worried about me. That’s too cute._

Futaba: _But remember, you’re my key item! There’s nothing I can’t do with you at my side. <3 _

Any worries Akira had been pondering quickly melted away as a warmth spread through him and he smiled from ear to ear. She was the only thing that could really lift him from his doldrums. _Guess in a way she’s my key item, too._

            Akira: _Glad to hear it. We’ll go out into town for our next date then._

Akira: _How about tonight? I can say I’m working late and we can go have some fun._

            Futaba: _I can say I’m going out shopping. We have the perfect alibi!_

            Futaba: _I’ll trust you to decide where we go, as always, then!_

Akira: _My, don’t put such high expectations on me. I don’t want to disappoint._

            Futaba: _As long as you’re there, anywhere is fun!_

            Futaba: _But I should probably let you get back to paying attention in class. You_ are _focusing, right?_

            Akira: _Totally._

            Futaba: _Good! Then I’ll see you later._

            Akira: _Later._

            Akira set down his phone and looked around in the hallway, certainly not capable of getting back to paying attention. He wouldn’t be able to focus even if he was in the classroom; instead, he started to think of places he could take Futaba with rekindled excitement.

           

 

            “Wow. . .” Futaba stared up at the bright neon lights that decorated the amusement park as the sun descended over the horizon, bringing a new and otherworldly glow to the whole park. “It’s so different when there’s tons of people here.” True, the Phantom Thieves had come here before, as part of their party celebrating Haru’s recruitment, but that party had been cut short. Tonight, Akira wanted to make sure Futaba got to experience more than just the park’s food.

            “Yeah, it’s crowded.” He looked around at the seas of people navigating from attraction to attraction. “Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?”

            Futaba smiled and nodded. “I have to be brave, for our sake. But . . .” She reached over and snaked her fingers between Akira’s, gripping his hand tightly. “Don’t let go of me, okay?” Red rose to her cheeks as she glanced away.

            “I wouldn’t for the world.”

            “Thanks. . .” She cleared her throat to distract from her vulnerability and tried to gather herself. “So, what should we do first?”

            Akira diverted his attention from her and shifted it towards the rides in their immediate vicinity. “Well, there’s a whole bunch of attractions. Guess we’ll just have to try as many as we can.”

            “Sounds tough. . . But I’m up for it! Let’s go!” Despite the usual relationship between the two, Futaba’s excitement shined through as she dragged him toward the nearest ride.

           

 

            “W-Whoa. . .” Futaba could barely walk straight as she made her way toward the exit of the roller coaster. “I’ve never gone that fast before! It was like a game, but instead of just the camera it was me! Wasn’t that awesome, Akira?” she asked as she tugged on his arm frantically. She’d been like this after every attraction they’d been on so far, be it the bumper cars, a rollercoaster, or even some simple game stall where they played rigged games for silly prizes.

            He watched her with a distinct adoration and amusement as she practically bounced off the walls, somehow having even more energy than the rollercoaster. “Did you like it?”

            “I loved it! Let’s go again!” She started tugging him back toward the entrance, but her eye caught something odd on the horizon. “Whoa. . . Let’s ride that instead!” She stared up at the wheel with a twinkle in her eye as she immediately started pursuing it.

            Akira joined her in line with a bemused grin on his face. “The Ferris wheel, huh? You wanna go up that bad?”

            “It’s huge!” She continued staring up at it in awe. “I’ve seen stuff like this in pictures and on the skyline, but up close it’s really amazing. I wanna see what the city looks like from up there.”

            “Trust me. It’s amazing.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked up alongside her, patiently awaiting the moment when they could get inside the Ferris wheel for themselves.

 

 

            “We’re going up! We’re going up!” Futaba violently shook Akira’s arm as she bounced up and down in her seat, staring out the glass around her as they slowly ascended past the halfway point. “We’re already so high. . . What do you think it’s like at the top?”

            “Why are you asking me? You’re gonna’ find out soon.”

            She furrowed her brow and pouted. “Do you ever stop with the cool guy lines? I’m only asking because I’m excited, you know.”

            Akira let himself laugh at her eccentricity. “I know, I know. I’m excited too. But don’t focus too much on me, or you might miss it.”

            The couple focused on looking outside as they ascended even higher. Futaba’s eyes widened with glee as she stared out at the bright lights of the Tokyo, a childlike wonder manifesting in both her eyes and the youthful smile slowly spreading ever further on her face. “Whoa. . . It’s beautiful.”

            “Yeah. . . It is.” Akira took his time to appreciate the skyline as well, but he’d seen it on the many occasions he’d gone to places like the Sky Needle with others. Right now, his primary focus was Futaba herself; such surprise and glee was common on her, but still, he didn’t want to miss a second of it.

            “This is so incredible. . .” Futaba let her head fall to Akira’s shoulder and nestled up against him. “Everything looks so small from so high up. And look at all the lights. . . How can something I see all the time online be so beautiful in real life?” She tore her eyes away from the world around her to focus on her boyfriend for just a second. “Maybe it’s because I’m with you.”

            Akira wasn’t usually caught off guard, but he glanced to the side as his cheeks reddened just a bit.

            “Whoa. . . Did I make you blush?” She pulled away in shock.

            “N-No. The altitude is messing with me.” He tugged at his turtleneck defensively.

            “I did!” She giggled girlishly and grinned at his expense. “Looks like it was my turn to be the cheesy embarrassing one, huh? Today really is amazing!”

            “If you enjoyed it so much, guess I can’t really deny it. . .” He accepted his embarrassment and smiled, caring more about her happiness than his pride.

            “So you concede! Point, Futaba.” She relaxed a moment, then settled her head back in the nook of his neck, letting out a contented sigh. “Still. . . This really is the greatest. Up here, when it’s just the two of us. . . It kinda feels like we’re the only people that matter, y’know? No rotten adults, no bullies or bad guys. . . No stupid Sojiros. It’s like we can really be together up here, without a care in the world.”

            She sounded more than happy, but Akira still furrowed his brow with concern. _It seems like she’s been stressing out about the same kinds of things I’ve been worrying about. . ._ He let his chin sink, pressing against her scalp as the two came deeper into contact. “It’s amazing. When I get to spend time with you, it’s like I can stop worrying about everything down there. If I didn’t have to, I’d never leave.”

            “Akira. . . You’re so cheesy.” She laughed softly at his line, but slowly shifted to sit straight as she spoke. “But I’m glad I can help you. With the Phantom Thieves and Sojiro, it’s easy to get stressed out. And I don’t even have to worry about as much as you; I get to stay home and play games when we’re not working. You still have school, and jobs to hold you down. . . I don’t know how you do it. You’re amazing, Akira.”

            “Thank you.” It was rare that Akira got complimented so directly; people often said he was ‘reliable’ or ‘cool,’ but compliments that came from the heart were uncommon, so receiving one from someone he cared so much for was a well needed respite from the norm. “But I wouldn’t sell yourself short,” he added. “I may be good at juggling a lot of things, but you’re practically a genius. No one’s quite as good with computers as you. . . Plus, I’d be hard pressed to find a game you couldn’t beat.”

            “You’d be better off to say ‘haven’t beaten,’” she added, inflating her own ego with a grin.

            “True.” He laughed, but kept going. “You’re beautiful, smart. . . Not to mention adorable.” He patted her head, rubbing in small circles. “I’m really lucky to have found you.”

            Futaba’s cheeks had warmed from pink to beet red as he continued, her embarrassment evolving tenfold with each compliment he paid her. She could barely avoid stuttering as she spoke. “T-Thanks! I-I guess we’re both lucky!”

            “That’s right.” Akira pulled his hand back and shifted in his chair to get more comfortable as he let his vision drift back to the city around him, now truly feeling like he didn’t have a care in the world. Silence filled the air for a while.

            “You know. . .”  Futaba spoke up, her eyes jumping from point to point sporadically as they often did when she was nervous. “Y-Yesterday, um, in my room.”

            “You don’t have to apologize, you know.”

            She held her hands out and waved them from side to side in rigorous denial. “No! T-That’s not what I was gonna say! Ugh. . .” She inhaled deeply and held the air there for a while to psych up. “Come on, man up, Futaba!” With a fierce exhalation, she spoke again. “Remember how I fell on top of you?”

            “Oh, I dunno. . . I hit my head kinda’ hard. Might’ve forgotten.” He smirked.

            “N-Not right now, Akira! I’m trying to be brave!”

            “I remember.”

            “Good!” She shut her eyes tightly and gathered even more resolve. “And . . . remember how Sojiro interrupted us?”

            “That’d be hard to forget, yeah.” Akira maintained his nonchalant façade, but he was pretty sure he knew where this was going. The direction the conversation took quickly caused his heartbeats to come faster and faster.

            “Well . . . b-before he did that. . . Y-You, uh, looked like you wanted to do something!” She laughed off her comment, looking off and to the side.

            “Uh. . .”

            “W-Wait, no!” She shook her head fiercely and turned her attention back to Akira, her determination evident. “ _I_ wanted to do something! When we were together, on the floor. . . I wanted to . . .”

            Akira watched for a few moments as the girl struggled against her own embarrassment. _She’s so brave._ He cut his admiration short to help her out just a bit. He reached over toward her and set a hand on her knee, doing his best to comfort and reassure her. “I did too.”

            “Y-You did?”

            He nodded.

            “T-Then. . .” She looked down. “If we both want to, then . . . r-right now isn’t. . . I-I mean, we could. . .”

            Figuring this was the closest he was going to get to direct permission, Akira decided to act. The hand on her leg migrated to her chin and cupped it gently as he looked toward her. His other hand took off his glasses, then hers, as he held her delicately.

            “A-Akira. . .” She looked at him with longing, a repressed and raw desire coming forth as she inched toward him. Her eyelids fluttered, then shut completely as her head tilted to the side, prepared to receive him.

            His advancement was slow, too, but he didn’t want to wait too long to take what he’d finally been given. After what felt like too long, their lips brushed lightly against each other, the soft sensation enveloping the both of them. Neither of them had kissed each other or anyone else before, so it was an untrained and basic interaction, but an intense satisfaction filled Akira’s heart as he remained there, in unison with her, for a long time.

            Eventually, he slipped backwards and pulled his lips from hers, softly, as though handling a precious treasure. His eyelids lifted and he brought his gaze to Futaba, fearfully gaging her response, afraid that any action that was too invasive would shatter her.  

            Futaba’s eyes stayed shut for a while. Then they opened. Slowly, they widened. And widened more. Until they _couldn’t_ widen more. The Ferris wheel kept moving, but she did not. She remained perfectly still. In absolute shock. Breaths barely squeaked out from her lungs as her eyes held firmly, staring at Akira.

            “Futaba?” he asked, concerned. _Did I go too far?_

            She didn’t respond.  She remained, unblinking, seemingly unfazed by the outside world or anything taking place within it. If it weren’t for her bright red cheeks and shallow breaths, she could be mistaken for a statue.

            “Do. . .” Her voice, though weak and small, still cut through the air forcefully, packed with raw emotion. “D-Do it again, please. . .”

            Relief swept over Akira as he reached out toward her once again. He didn’t need an invitation; less delicately and more passionately he moved toward her, pressing his lips into hers. They kissed, high above the rest of the world and anyone that would disapprove, like angels in love. This time, Futaba moved as well – she set her hand on Akira’s cheek and kissed back with a repressed, yet all too apparent passion that threatened to overwhelm him as her movements eventually took the lead.

            They broke apart, both breathing heavily, each of their lips shining after their tangle with the others’. “Akira. . .” They were so close, but still her voice barely rang out through the air, as though it were afraid to come out.

            “I love you.” He wanted to affirm this to her now more than ever, to make sure that she knew this, and that she knew to never regret giving herself to him.

            “I l-love you too.” She spoke, sent, and read the words often, but exchanging them in such a charged environment was far more liberating. Her heart soared higher than this Ferris wheel could ever take her. She sat in silence for a while before clearing her throat and trying her best to sound casual. “K-Kissing is pretty great, r-right?”

            “Yeah. . . It was. But only because it was you.”

            If Futaba could have gotten redder, she would’ve. “D-Don’t be sappy right now, Akira! My heart will explode if it beats any faster!”

            He laughed. “Sorry, sorry. But now feels like the perfect time to be sappy.”

            “You’re too charismatic. . .” She breathed quickly, trying to collect her composure. “Okay. . . Phew. That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. . .”

            “Do you regret it?” asked Akira, half probing for an answer, but half worried that she might.

            “N-No! I mean . . . No. Not at all. I said it was great, right? Plus . . . it was you, after all. If you liked it, then I couldn’t be any happier. . .”

            “I loved every second of it.”

            “That’s great. . . I was so worried.” She laughed, her composure slowly but surely returning. “I’ve never kissed anyone before, and you’re so charming I thought for sure you must’ve kissed a ton of people . . . but you said you hadn’t, and I thought ‘well shoot, what if he’s bad too?’ and I thought it wouldn’t be any fun for either of us . . . And I didn’t even think about the glasses thing! That could’ve been a disaster!” She rambled on and on, but eventually finished with a deep breath. “So I’m glad it went well. O-Oh, and . . . if you ever wanna kiss me again, you don’t need permission. . . S-So please do. If you want!”

            A wave of ecstasy drifted over Akira as he got confirmation that their relationship had ascended to a higher level, both physically and emotionally. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” he said, casual and cool as always, not wanting to display his internal excitement for the sake of his cool guy aesthetic.

            “You’re too suave. . .” She cleared her throat again, putting her glasses back on as she looked around. “H-Hey. . . How many times do you think we’ve been around?”

            “Oh. . . I dunno’. They haven’t forced us off yet, so probably not too many.”

            “That’s true I guess. . .” Her eyes widened as a realization dawned on her. “W-Wait! Do you think we passed by the bottom?”

“Probably.”

“A-And . . . do you think people saw us . . .?”

            “Kissing?” He raised his eyebrows inquisitively; it was probably true, but he didn’t see why it was cause for concern. People kissed in Ferris wheels all the time.

             Futaba went as white as a sheet as this dawned on her. “H-How are you so calm!? This is so embarrassing!”

            “Really? I don’t think it is.” He smirked at another opportunity to tease her. “With someone as beautiful as you, I’m glad someone saw. It makes me look cooler.”

            “Akira!” She slugged his shoulder, not hard enough to hurt but hard enough to push him to the side slightly as he laughed. “One of these days I’m gonna get you back for all these one liners!”

            “Sorry, sorry. But I do mean what I say.” He looked around and saw they were approaching the bottom of the Ferris wheel. “Looks like it’s our stop soon. Let’s get home, before Sojiro gets suspicious.”

            “Oh right. . . Gotta go home.” She sighed. “I guess our time in paradise couldn’t last forever.”

            The door opened and the youths stepped out, a spring in their step as they started making their way toward the exit of the park.

            “Thanks so much for taking me here tonight, Akira. This went better than I would’ve dreamed. . .”

            “I think so too. It certainly is encouraging to know not _every_ date will end with Boss busting in on us from here on out.” They both laughed at his comment.

            “Yeah. . . I still wish Sojiro could see how nice you are at times like this. There’s no way we’re not perfect for each other,” she said, giddy and gleeful. She looked over toward Akira to ask him something, but her vision caught two adults behind him, pulled off to the side by some ‘Test Your Strength’ contraption.

            The man kneeled before the woman, his hands held out before her, in which he grasped a small box. Futaba had seen enough pictures on the internet to know that what was inside was a ring, and that he was proposing to the woman, who held her hands over her mouth in shock, though you could still tell she was grinning from ear to ear. Passersby stared and smiled with joy as the woman nodded frantically and the man slipped the ring onto her finger before he stood and they kissed, wrapped in a tight embrace while everyone around them applauded. The scene invaded her mind and fantasies started to fill her head.

            Akira noted her furrowed brow while she watched and looked over. “Oh, a public proposal, huh?” he asked, trying to reinvigorate the conversation.

            Futaba wrenched her fascinated eyes away to respond. “O-Oh, yeah. Isn’t that so tacky?”

            “Yeah. I think it means a lot more in private. Plus, all the crowding around. . .”

            “I know, right?” She was brought back to reality by the comment. “Those people have no concern for the other people that have to walk through the crowds they draw. I used to think when I saw them online that I’d die if I ever got caught up in one. . .”

            Her boyfriend observed her tangent with fascination and fondness, taking comfort in the fact that she seemed back to normal for the night. “Don’t worry. I’m here, remember?”

            She giggled. “Yeah. Thank you, Akira.”

They shared a few more laughs and talked as they left the park, eventually making it to the subway. They separated from one another one station before Yongen-Jaya, so Sojiro wouldn’t see them come home together. But even once they had both gotten home and gone to bed, Futaba couldn’t get the image of that man and his now-fiancé out of her mind. She dwelled on it for a long while before drifting off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

     “Ugh. . . Man, I can’t handle all this studying stuff right now!” Ryuji shut his notebook and let his forehead fall to it, creating an audible thud that disturbed Leblanc’s otherwise peaceful atmosphere.

             “You say that like you can ever handle it. I’ve never heard you _not_ complain about studying,” Ann jeered at Ryuji, as usual.

             “I suppose I _could_ tell you again how important it is to study, even as Phantom Thieves, but it looks like it’s impossible to get through to you.” Makoto took on the role of leader in this study group, and as always, chastised Ryuji for his lack of effort.

             The steely, yet serene voice of Yusuke was next in line to scold him. “I suggest you listen to Makoto and Ann, and dedicate yourself more fully to your work.”

             Ryuji cocked an eyebrow leaned forward, annoyed. “Why are _you_ getting onto me, Yusuke? It’s not like you have to study! You don’t even have exams this week!”

             “Leblanc’s atmosphere is always stimulating, so I relish in any opportunity to come here. And I _was_ being inspired; the silent tension and anxiety in the air amongst a study group, undermined by the determination and camaraderie of good friends working together. . . So mundane, yet so profound! I can surely create a wonderful painting from this!” he proclaimed as he framed the scene with his thumbs and fingers. “Or rather, I would have been able to. But you’re dampening my desired mood, Ryuji.”

             “Burn. And by Inari, no less! Ryuji must be feeling that one.” Futaba sat atop one of the stools at the counter, facing the group that sat in the booths. Haru giggled from behind the coffee siphons, where she was testing her newest brew.

             “Quit laying into me, guys! I feel like I’m getting ganged up on!” Ryuji leaned back and looked to his left. “You’re on my side, right?”

             Akira shrugged. “I think it’s important to better yourself in all ways. Studying is no exception.”

             Ann cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “You say that, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you paying attention in class unless a teacher calls on you. And sometimes not even then.”

             Morgana poked his head up from the dish he feasted upon. “I can confirm _that_ for sure.”

             “Which is why I need to study.” Akira’s response got laughs from the rest of the Phantom Thieves, but Ryuji’s laments resumed shortly after nonetheless.

             “But seriously, I get the whole bettering yourself thing, but some of this stuff is so useless! Why would I care about ancient history and old wedding ceremonies?”

             “Oh, I dunno.” Ann smiled as she contemplated. “Wedding ceremonies can be kinda interesting. All the traditional stuff is fascinating, don’t you think?”

             “You’re _such_ a girl,” Ryuji said as he rolled his eyes.

             “Shut up,” Ann snapped back.

             Makoto nodded at Ann’s comments. “I agree with her. It’s important to understand the past. And besides, don’t you want some ideas for _your_ big day?”

             “Pff. C’mon, that’s ridiculous. No dude my age is giving marriage even a _little_ thought. Right, guys?” He crossed his arms with certainty.

             “I am already wed to my craft,” said Yusuke as he sketched idly.

             “. . . Dunno why I expected Inari to say something normal. But you get me, right, Akira?” He tapped Akira’s shoulder. “Do you wanna get married?”

             Akira briefly lifted his pencil from the page and scratched his chin with it. “Of course I want to get married.”

             Ryuji widened his eyes. “W-Whoa, seriously, bro?”

             “Yeah. Is that weird?” he asked, expression blank as always.

             “Kinda. . . You were supposed to back me up. But I always forget I’m the only normal one in this group.”

             Morgana audibly scoffed. “They may not be normal, but at least Joker and Yusuke have some form of charm. You should take a page out of their books, Ryuji.”

             “Says the talking cat!”

             Makoto sighed with annoyance. “Honestly. . . You two are welcome to not study, but could you not fight? I can’t focus with your bickering.”

             “Y-Yes ma’am.” Ryuji backed down immediately, his fear of the queen manifesting rapidly.

             Haru watched the whole scene with a bemused smile on her face as she poured some coffee. “It’s nice to see everyone working so hard. I think you all deserve a coffee break.”

             “That sounds lovely, Haru.” Yusuke held his cup out toward her. Haru began making the rounds from person to person, pouring her own special brew into their cup.

             “I have some for you too, Futaba-chan!” She walked back around the counter to prepare Futaba her cup, but widened her eyes upon seeing the state the girl was in.

             Futaba pressed her palms into her thighs firmly, as though trying to contain something within them, all while staring down at the counter in front of her with widened, shocked eyes. Sweat dripped down her forehead, the redness of her cheeks nearly radiating from her. She fidgeted every now and then, but for the most part remained deathly still.

             “F-Futaba-chan? Are you alright?” Haru exclaimed, drawing the attention of the other Phantom Thieves.

             “Futaba?” Makoto started to move to check on her, but was silenced by Futaba’s outburst.

             “I-I-I’m fine!” Futaba cried before quickly jumping to her feet. Her knees wobbled as she walked. “J-Just feeling a little sick, is all! I-I think I’ll do some dishes to calm down!” Her movements were stiff, almost robotic, as she made her way behind the counter and into the kitchen. She picked up dishes from the sink and ran them under water, but didn’t do anything that looked _close_ to legitimate cleaning.

             All eyes in the room watched her as she went. “Uh. . . You think she’s okay?” asked Ryuji.

            “I-I dunno. . . Wait!” Ann leaned forward, a look of urgency on her face now. “Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?”

            “Huh? What’re you talking about, Ann?” Ryuji leaned in, speaking in a hushed tone.

            “Guys. . .” She looked around at all her fellow thieves as if this was a matter of life and death. “Futaba started acting up as soon as we started talking about marriage!”

            “Now that I think about it, you’re right. . .” Makoto held her chin, brow furrowed in contemplation. “But what could . . .”

            “Whoa! You don’t think she’s got a boyfriend, do you?” Ryuji asked.

            “Shh! Quiet down, Ryuji!” Ann hissed. “We don’t want her to hear you!”

            “There’s no way she’d have a boyfriend, though! She never left the freakin’ house until recently! She couldn’t have possibly met a dude unless it was on, like, a dating site, and she’s way too nervous for one of those. . . Unless. . .” Ryuji took a slow look around the room. “Is it one of us?”

            Silence fell over the gossip circle and hung like a curtain. Everyone looked amongst each other, gauging for reactions, all of them shocked, but also very, very curious, save for one specific member of the group.

            Akira took it into his own hands to calm everyone down, for a variety of reasons. “G-Guys, guys. Don’t you think this is a little unnecessary?” He tried to ignore the sly Morgana grinning at him mischievously out of the corner of his eye.

            “Unnecessary!?” Ann sounded almost offended. “This is Futaba’s love life we’re talking about! It couldn’t be any _more_ necessary!”

            “I gotta’ say, I’m curious ‘bout it too . . .” Ryuji glanced across the table to Yusuke. “It’s not you, is it?”

            Yusuke raised his eyebrows at the accusation. “No, it most certainly is not. I’m far too busy with my work to dedicate any time to a woman. Plus, I don’t exactly have the pocket change. . .”

            “Oh, right, Yusuke’s broke. No way any girl’s after him. And it’s definitely not me, so that just leaves. . .” All the eyes in the group shifted to Akira.

            Akira looked around, thankful for his ability to keep his composure even in the most trying of situations, but he was still unsure of what to do. He and Futaba had an agreement early into their relationship that they wouldn’t tell anyone; they didn’t want business with the Phantom Thieves, or just friendly hang outs like this one, to be any different than they had been before.

 _I just won’t tell them. But . . . at the same time, telling them I’m not dating Futaba almost feels like I’m rejecting her in front of all our friends. . ._ It plucked at his heartstrings as he continued to think.

             Fortunately, he was given a bit more time to think by an outburst from the cat next to him. “Why can’t it be me, huh, Ryuji?”

             “As if. I doubt even _cat_ girls wanna date you. Why would a human?” Ryuji scoffed.

             Akira thanked Morgana silently for the opportunity and decided to change the subject. “C-c’mon, we’re getting off topic. We really should be studying.”

             Ryuji eyed him suspiciously. “Isn’t that subject change a little too convenient?”

             Makoto shook her head. “Akira’s right. Our main concern is review. Besides, Futaba probably just isn’t feeling well. I doubt it’s anything as serious as a boyfriend.”

 _Phew. Thank you, Morgana. . ._ He went back to pouring over his notes as a means of distracting himself from the subject of conversation. _Still. . . I wonder what’s gotten into her._ Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t keep himself from occasionally glancing to Futaba as she frantically worked in the kitchen.

 

 

             “Well, I’m headed home. Later!” Ryuji held a hand up as he walked out the door to Leblanc.

             “I need to catch the train as well. Thank you for your patronage, Akira.” Yusuke bowed deeply and followed suit. One by one, the Phantom Thieves left, until it was just Akira, Haru, and Futaba remaining.

             “Sorry to take more of your time.” Haru took her apron off and went about cleaning the residue from her experimentation for the day. “I didn’t mean to make such a mess.”

             “Don’t mention it. I’ll help you clean it up.” Akira took his position behind the counter and set himself to helping her, but his focus wasn’t entirely set on work. He kept an eye on Futaba as she washed the dishes, concerned about her earlier outburst.

             The three took care of reorganizing the disheveled Leblanc, but after a few moments they were shaken from their task by the sound of the door opening. “Welcome to Leblanc!” said Haru enthusiastically.

             “Are you guys cleaning?” Sojiro stepped in, taking his gaudy hat off and setting it down atop the counter. “Heh. Guess I don’t mind that you’re doing it for me.” He took a seat on one of the stools.

             “Yes sir. We finished studying, but Haru and I used the work stations, so we were tidying up.” Akira spoke rigidly, and as Sojiro’s eyes met his an undeniable tension filled the air between them; not one of animosity, but one of discomfort. In truth, they hadn’t spoken much since Sojiro’s disapproval of Akira’s relationship with Futaba, and when they had it had been in short bursts of confirmation or acknowledgment.

             Haru looked between the two of them, pursing her lips before shaking her head and dismissing it. “Thank you for letting me use Leblanc to practice, Sakura-san.”

             “Don’t mention it. Believe it or not, I like teaching you kids about coffee. Especially when you’re so passionate about it.” He smiled to Haru, but the air didn’t grow any less stagnant. Occasionally, he looked toward Futaba, but she never met his eyes.

             “I’m honored, Sakura-san.” She bowed her head slightly. “Anyway, thank you for hosting our study session, Akira-kun. I’m very grateful. But I should really start heading home now.”

             “Want me to walk you to the station?” Akira asked. He didn’t really _want_ to, but he especially didn’t want to be stuck in Leblanc with just Sojiro and Futaba. _I don’t think I could handle anything so painfully awkward. . ._

             Haru shook her head, smiling politely. “Thank you very much for your offer, but it isn’t that far. I’ll see you at school.” She waved and stepped out of Leblanc, the bell ringing to commemorate her exit.

_Oh boy. . . Here we go._

            None of the three remaining denizens of Leblanc spoke. The silence was so thick that Akira found it difficult to move, as though it were a real presence filling the air. He did his best not to get caught as he stole sideways glances toward Futaba, and she did the same for him, the two silently communicating their uneasiness to one another. Sojiro on the other hand just sat at the counter and read the newspaper, skimming an article he’d read already just to avoid having to speak with anyone.

            “Uh. . .” Futaba spoke up first. “What’re we having for dinner, Sojiro?”

            “Oh. I, uh, haven’t really thought about it. What do we have in the fridge?”

            “Not much. . . We kinda ate a lot of it while they were studying,” she said sheepishly.

            “That’s alright. You’re kids, you need to eat.” He laughed, but the interaction still seemed tense at best. “I can go buy something if you’d like.”

            Futaba clasped her hands behind her back and walked out from behind the counter. “Why don’t we have yakisoba tonight? I haven’t had some in a while.”

            “If that’s what you want,” said Sojiro with a smile. “I won’t have to cook that way.” He relaxed briefly, but his brow creased as he looked toward Akira. “. . . Have you eaten yet?”

            Akira laughed nervously to deflect the question. “I’m not really hungry. I think I’m going to go to bed, actually.” The statement was stiff and uncomfortable, but nonetheless he walked past Futaba and up the stairs. “Goodnight.”

            Sojiro watched him go, sighing once he was out of eyesight. “Come on, Futaba. Let’s go buy that yakisoba.”

            “Okay. . .”

 

            Akira laid in bed, browsing the Phan-Site on his phone to idly pass the time. Despite reading the many requests and slanders on the wall, he found it hard to distract himself from his encounter with Sojiro downstairs. _That was awful. I don’t want it to go on like this. . . But what do I do?_ He sighed as a text notification appeared on the top of his screen.

            He figured it was Futaba, texting to apologize about Sojiro. He opened the message to text back, but was surprised to see that the sender was actually Haru.

            Haru: _Hello, Akira-kun. Sorry to text you late at night. Could we talk for a moment?_

            Akira: _Sure. Is something wrong?_

            Haru: _I’m sorry if I’m prying, but I couldn’t help but notice the environment in Leblanc. Is everything alright there?_

            Akira contemplated what to say. He began typing back a flimsy excuse, but stopped mid-sentence when he saw her next text roll in.

            Haru: _You and Futaba-chan are dating, aren’t you?_

            He sat up in shock. He took a long time to type back a reply, unsure of what to say, though he eventually came to the conclusion that there was no point in hiding it if she’d already figured it out.

            Akira: _How did you know? Did Futaba tell you?_

            Haru: _No. It was just kind of obvious after today._

            Haru: _That’s great! I’m very happy for the both of you!_

            Akira sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he laid back down. _I guess they had to find out eventually. . ._

            Akira: _Thanks. I appreciate it._

            Haru: _But something_ is _wrong, right?_

            He went through a detailed explanation of the past two weeks: the conversation he’d had with Sojiro at the church, their confession to him afterwards, his disapproval of their relationship, and them dating behind his back. While he was upset that she’d found out, part of him enjoyed the opportunity to vent, and he found himself pouring over his phone until the whole tale was told.

            Haru: _I see. . . So Sakura-san doesn’t want you two to be together._

            Akira: _That’s about right. Life at Leblanc has been a little harder as a result._

            Haru: _What do you plan to do, Akira-kun? I don’t think you should let it go on like this for much longer._

            Akira: _You’re right. But I don’t know what to say to Sojiro to make him accept me. He knows me pretty well, so if he doesn’t trust me with her now, I doubt he ever will._

            Haru: _Akira-kun. . . I’m sorry. I had no idea you were going through something so hard._

            Akira: _Don’t be sad, Haru. It’s not anyone’s fault._

             Akira: _I’m trying to work something out._ _Just don’t tell anyone for right now, alright?_

            Haru: _I won’t tell a soul. I know you can do it, Akira-kun!_

Akira: _Thank you. Goodnight._

            Haru: _Goodnight!_

            Akira let his phone fall to his side and looked up to the plain attic ceiling with a sigh. He felt a lot better now, and made a note to tell Haru that he really appreciated her support. But for the time being, all he could do was try to get some sleep. No amount of contemplation was going to help this late at night. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off.

 

 

            _Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt._

            Akira awoke to the sound of his phone going off in the dark attic. He rubbed his eyes and reached for it, checking for the time. _Who’s calling me at 3:00 AM?_

            Morgana shifted atop Akira’s covers, groaning. “Why do your friends always call you so late . . .?”

             “Good question. . .” He accepted the call. “Hello?”

            “Akira? It’s me.” Surprisingly, it was Futaba that spoke on the other end of the line. “I’m downstairs, but the door’s locked. Can you come let me in?”

            Akira was shaken from his grogginess and stood up, shuffling toward the stairs in his baggy pajamas. “Futaba? What do you need from Leblanc? You forget something?”

            “No – look, it’s important. Just hurry up!” _Click._ She hung up.

            He sighed and stuffed his phone in his pocket as he meandered lazily down the stairs and flipped on the lights. Through the windows on the door, he could see Futaba standing outside, wearing clothes not at all dissimilar to his own, a light t-shirt and some loose fitting pants. Her hair was frizzy and disheveled – it looked like she had just crawled out of bed. Akira unlocked and opened the door. “Hey, is something wrong?”

            She wasted no time breezing past him and stepping into Leblanc, marching to the beat of her own drum as always. “Kind of. . . I guess it’s not something _wrong,_ really. I just wanted to talk.”

            “I’m all for it, but what about –“

            “Sojiro? I made sure he was asleep. We should be okay.” She looked to the side, standing casually, but there was an element of discomfort in her gaze. She cleared her throat. “Make me some coffee.”  

            Despite the strange situation, Akira laughed. “Did you wake me up just to get some of my coffee? If so, I’m flattered.”

            She grinned mischievously and sat down at the counter. “You _wish_ your coffee was worth getting up at 3 for. . . It is a nice plus, though.”

            “I think that’s a compliment.” He smiled too as he dug out just enough coffee beans for one cup. He looked over as he set the groundwork for his preparation; even in her pajamas with bedhead, she was surprisingly beautiful. He looked over her features fondly before realizing that simply staring at her would probably make her uncomfortable. “So, what did you wanna talk about?”

            “Oh, right. . .” She propped her arm under her chin and watched him as he worked. “There’s just something that’s been bothering me for a while.”

            Akira’s brow furrowed, hoping she wasn’t as upset about what had happened earlier with Sojiro as he was. “Well, tell me about it.” He set his hands on the counter and leaned forward, listening intently, determined to comfort her.

            Upon receiving so much focus from him, Futaba went red. “U-Uh, it’s no big deal really. . . But . . .” She smiled softly. “Do you remember our date in the amusement park?”

            “I would never forget.” He fondly recalled the memories they made in the Ferris wheel, but anxiety quickly fell over him. “Wait, did I do something wrong? Was it –“

            “N-No! You didn’t do anything wrong!” She sighed. “It was one of the best days ever, but . . . when we were leaving, I saw . . . something.”

            Akira tried to think back on what they’d seen that night. _Could it have been . . .?_ “Do you mean that proposal?”

            She nodded, weakly. “It just got me thinking . . . about the future.”

            “Huh?”

            “You know. _Our_ future.” She fidgeted uncontrollably in the stool, rocking back and forth as she grew redder by the second.  

            Akira gulped, his pulse immediately skyrocketing. He had no clue what to say. Sure, earlier he had said he wanted to get married one day, but he hadn’t even considered that Futaba could be thinking about it as well. Being confronted with the possibility made him uneasy, but curious as well.  

            “We’re young right now, but time flies. You’re going to graduate next year, and we’ll be adults in no time. . .” Her eyes were glued to the counter below her as she shifted uncomfortably.

            “Futaba. . .”

            “But as time goes on, things are going to get more complicated . . .” She shook her head. “Basically . . . I don’t know if we can keep our relationship going in secret.”

            A pang of sadness shot through Akira’s chest. “I-I see.”

            Futaba held a hand out in front of her. “W-Wait, that’s not what I mean. It’s not like I don’t _want_ to be with you. Having you as my boyfriend is the greatest. . . But. . . We have trouble getting together _now_ without Sojiro finding out _,_ and I’m not even in school. Next year, when you’ve got exams, and I start school, it’ll be so much harder for us to be a couple.”

            He was relieved that she wasn’t dumping him, but the despair didn’t let go as she kept explaining. “That’s true. . .”

            “Mhm. . . And think about when we’re _adults._ There’s no way we can be secret lovers after we grow up. . .” She sighed and looked up to Akira. She felt guilty for a moment at his concerned and saddened expression, so she cleared her throat and tried to speak casually. “I was just stressing out about it a little is all.”

            “. . .” Akira swallowed, a firm knot having formed in his chest. Of course, he knew this was true as well, but he’d managed to avoid thinking about it by distracting himself with more immediate concerns. But now, seeing Futaba worry so intensely about it, he knew he had to do something. “Futaba.”

            “Huh? What is it?” she asked, surprised by the stony resoluteness in his voice.

            He reached forward and took her hand into his, staring at her with a fierce determination. “I’m so sorry. The last thing I want is for you to be upset.” He gripped her hand tighter. “I promise, no matter what I have to do, I’ll get Sojiro to accept me as your boyfriend. You won’t have to worry anymore.”

            “Akira. . .” She sniffled and held her hand in his. “Thank you. You always know just what to say.” The concern disappeared from her face, replaced with a warm and glowing grin.

            Akira closed his eyes and let the relief wash over him. _Thank goodness._ He expressed his gratitude silently before continuing. “Are you feeling better?”

            “Kind of. . . I’m still a little worried, but I feel comforted.” She glanced to the side. “Y-You know, if you really wanted to make me feel better, there is _something_ you could do. . .”

            He chuckled. “Your coffee’s coming right up.”

            Surprisingly, Futaba groaned at his comment. “For someone so suave and charming, you sure are dense.”

            He blinked, perplexed. “Uh. . . Do you not want the coffee?”

            Futaba couldn’t help laughing. “You’re so ridiculous sometimes. But seriously, after a heartfelt moment with your girlfriend like that, isn’t there something that you want to do?”

            “. . . Oh, of course.” He smiled and set a hand on her chin. Slowly, the two came together and exchanged a tender kiss – short, but oh so sweet. He pulled away from her after what felt like a long time, but to Akira it was still far too short.  

            “You kinda killed the moment, but . . . you’re just too cute, so I forgive you.” Her lightheartedness returned in no time as she waited patiently for Akira to get her coffee.

            “I could say the same to you.” He went about a few more steps of preparation before pouring her drink, setting it in front of her. “Here you go.”

            “Thanks.” Futaba took a long sip from the cup before setting it down, thoughts bouncing around in her mind. One in particular gripped her as she looked at the heart drawn in steamed milk within the coffee, and as she contemplated it, her own heart started to beat a little faster. “H-Hey, Akira?”

            “Hmm?” He took a seat on the stool next to her, resting his elbows atop the counter.

            “Earlier today during the study session, y-you guys were talking about wedding ceremonies, right?”

            “Yeah. . . I do remember that.” _Come to think of it, she was acting a little odd after we mentioned it. . ._

            She turned away from him, in an effort to hide her bright red cheeks. “A-And . . . you mentioned something about _wanting_ to get married, right? Were you, uh . . . talking about me?”

            The realization dawned on Akira, and he felt a little stupid for not realizing it sooner. He grinned at the thought of her getting so embarrassed over him and reached out to comfort her, setting his hands on her shoulders. “Of course I was.”

            Futaba spun around to face him, obviously embarrassed, but the excited glint in her eyes couldn’t be hidden. “R-Really?”

            He nodded. “When I think about our futures, that’s the only path I want us to take.”

            “Akira. . .” She beamed, springing up toward Akira. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a bold, loving kiss, hanging onto him desperately. Normally, Akira initiated these sorts of things, so he was pleasantly surprised by her actions and set his hands on her waist, reciprocating passionately. Many moments passed before they let themselves be split apart. “I love you.” Futaba smiled from ear to ear, and Akira thanked whoever or whatever gave him the ability to see her this happy.

            “I love you too. And I don’t ever plan on stopping.”

            “Akira. . .” She let go of him and turned away slightly, but her intense joy didn’t fade. “You’re the best boyfriend ever.”

            “I try,” he said with a smirk.

            She giggled. “I feel a lot better now. . . But how late is it?”

            Akira glanced to the clock. “Around three thirty.”

            “Wow. . . It’s late.” She widened her eyes. “Wait, don’t you have school tomorrow?”

            “Yeah.”

            “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to keep you up so late on a school night!”

            He laughed at her sporadic apology. “Don’t mention it. I would stay up all night for you. That said, we should probably wrap it up soon.”

            Futaba nodded and gulped down the rest of her coffee. “Yeah, I need to get home, lest we face the wrath of the final boss.” She hopped up off the ground. “Um. . . Thank you, Akira. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

            “Goodnight. I love you.”

            “I love you too! Goodnight!” She hurried out the door and back to her house, while Akira watched her go with a loving fondness. He sighed and stood, before heading upstairs to catch just a little more shut eye.

 

 

            _Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt._

            Again, he woke up to his phone’s vibrating. _Someone calling me again?_ He reached for it in a groggy daze, but at least it wasn’t the middle of the night this time; sunlight reached through the cracks in his curtains, which meant it was time to get up anyway.

            “Ugh. . . Get less popular, Akira. . . All these late night calls are gonna be the death of me. . .” Morgana whined.

            “But it’s morning. . .” He unlocked his phone to see who was calling, but surprisingly, it wasn’t a call at all; it was just a ton of text messages, all coming in one after another. _What the . . ._

            He opened the first one he’d received that morning. It was from Haru. It said simply:

            Haru: _I kind of messed up. . ._

            The rest of the messages came from their group chat – it was getting filled with text after text.

            Ryuji: _Dude, no way! I can’t believe you had a girlfriend and didn’t tell me!_

Yusuke: _While I do appreciate the art of subtlety, I agree with Ryuji._

            Ann: _Eek! This is so exciting! You have to tell us everything, Akira!_

            Makoto: _Guys, isn’t it a little early to be sending so many messages? Nonetheless, Akira, you have my support._  

            Akira brought his palm to his forehead and stared down at his phone screen as they continued debating and discussing about his relationship, and repeatedly asked him for more clarifications. _Haru. . . It’s too early for this._ He shut his phone off and decided he’d simply deal with them when he saw them in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for all the responses and comments! It's very motivating and a highlight of any post when you respond well to it, so keep them coming.
> 
> In this chapter, Akira and Futaba are drilled by the other Phantom Thieves for answers regarding their relationship.

            Akira and Futaba sat in a booth at the diner, sitting close to one another for comfort in such a dire situation. Akira tugged at his collar as though to let stress flow out from within him while he waited for the interrogation to begin. They were alone on their side of the table, but far from the only ones sitting there; for across from them sat the remainder of the Phantom Thieves, packed into one booth so tightly it was almost comical. Morgana, as always, was inside Akira’s bag on the table.

            “Alright, dude. You gotta give us all the deets.” Ryuji set his hands atop the table as though he were a prosecutor in a detective flick. “How long have you two been dating?”

            “September,” Akira replied, plainly, like one who was being interrogated would. The situation seemed far too serious for what it really was.

            “How many dates have you two been on?” Ann asked, her face glowing like she’d been given a gift.

            “Uh. . . I haven’t really kept count.” He scratched the back of his head. “A lot, though.”

            Ann squealed with excitement as she dug into the cake she’d ordered. “I can totally imagine it! You two are so cute together. What kind of places have you gone?”

            “W-We go to each other’s rooms and play games and stuff. . . Sometimes, we go to Akihabara to buy new parts for my PC, or new games.” Futaba spoke now, seeming a tad intimidated by the squad of interrogators on the other side of the table. She gripped Akira’s hand below it to steady herself.

            “That’s . . . surprisingly normal.” Ann seemed almost disappointed that her confession wasn’t about moonlit walks on the beach.

            “Well. . . Recently we went to the amusement park. That was really magical. . . We had so much fun.” She smiled at the memory, and Ann lit up in response.

            “Those are the kind of juicy dates we want to hear about! Tell us _everything_.”

            Makoto held a hand up to halt the conversation. “This isn’t an interrogation, guys. Let’s slow it down with all the questions.”

            Yusuke chimed in next. “Makoto is right. I, for one, am more interested in the big picture at the moment.”

            “Oh, yeah. Why didn’t you tell us, man?” asked Ryuji.

            “Well, for one, I figured I’d end up in a situation just like this one. . . But that isn’t all,” said Akira. “We were worried that if we told you guys we were a couple, we couldn’t hang out the same way as we used to. Futaba and I didn’t want to hurt the group dynamic.”

            “What? That’s ridiculous, dude.” Ryuji laughed. “If anything, all we’re gonna do is tease you a little more now. And it’s not like we don’t already make fun of each other a ton.”

            “Ryuji’s only saying that because most of the insults are directed at him,” jeered Ann. “And I for one am really glad this got out. All our group needed to be perfect was a juicy relationship to talk about!”

            Haru nodded encouragingly. “I’m sorry for accidentally letting all of them know, but I knew it wouldn’t be an issue. We’re all here to offer our support.”

            They all offered infectious smiles of support, which quickly spread to Futaba and Akira. “Guys. . . Thank you so much,” said Futaba.

            “No problem! Buuut, we’re not done here. . . Get her!” Ann and the other girls jumped up and rushed Futaba.

            “W-whoa, guys! What’re you doing? G-Guys?” Surprised onlookers watched as the female members of the Phantom Thieves ambushed Futaba and dragged her away.

            “We’re gonna have a little girl talk! You need to tell us _everything_.” Ann led the charge out the door.

            Futaba struggled in a desperate attempt to break free, but the grips of those around her were too tight to escape from. “Y-You too, Makoto?”

            “What can I say? I’m a girl too! And I’m interested to hear about how our leader is as a boyfriend,” said Makoto with a hint of amusement. Haru laughed as the girls escaped the diner.

            Akira watched the affair with nothing short of bewilderment, but he himself was not yet free from the remaining Phantom Thieves. Ryuji and Yusuke leaned closer, prepared for an interrogation of their own.

            “Alright. First thing’s first,” said Ryuji as he cracked his knuckles. “How good is she?”

            Akira stood up. “I’m leaving.”

            “N-Nono, wait! I didn’t mean it, dude! It was a joke!” insisted Ryuji, until Akira agreed to sit back down. “We’ll ask more normal questions now.”

            Yusuke cleared his throat and set his elbows on the table, analyzing Akira as though he were sizing up a painting. “When would you say Futaba’s beauty is most prevalent?”

            “Dude, I said _normal_ questions. . .”

            Despite the odd inquiry, Akira furrowed his brow in thought. “Uh, that’s a tough one. She’s always pretty. . . Hmm. I guess I’d say when she isn’t trying very hard. She’s cutest on weekends, or late at night, when she just wears pajamas, and looks a little tired. She’ll smile these small smiles that are simply adorable.” He nodded to punctuate, speaking as though he were reviewing a work of art rather than offering an account of his girlfriend.

            “I see. . . Indeed, the best expressions from a woman tend to be those that are pure. I learned this lesson early as well. Such fervent love of another in their simplest form. . . These emotions will certainly find their way into my next work.” He smiled with satisfaction.

            “You guys are freaks.” Ryuji laughed before continuing. “So, where was your first date?”

            “I guess the first time we spent together as a couple was in her room. That was the first time we were together after I confessed to her, anyway. . . But we’d been lots of places before that.”

            “W-Wait, seriously? Your first date was . . . in her _room_?” Ryuji asked with graveness.

            “Yes,” confirmed Akira.

            “Whoa. . . Did you guys, like . . .?”

            Akira’s cheeks tinged red. “We haven’t done anything like that!”

            Ryuji grinned at Akira’s expense. “You’re denying it pretty fiercely, man. . . C’mon, you can tell me! We’re bros!”

            “Like I said, we haven’t gone that far.”

            “Huh. . . Yeah, now that I think about it that makes sense. I mean, Boss’d kill you if he found out you did _that_ with his daughter!” he said with a chuckle. Akira tensed slightly at the mention of Sojiro.

            “Speaking of Boss . . . I need you both to not tell him that Futaba and I are still together.”

            “Why is that?” Yusuke asked. “Surely he knows already?”

            “Yeah, I mean, you wouldn’t be dating her behind his back, right? I doubt even you’re that bold.”

            “. . .” Akira cleared his throat. “We told him. He wasn’t exactly . . . ecstatic.”

            “Oh, man. . .” Ryuji crossed his arms, the air around them growing more serious. “He didn’t shut you two down, did he?”

            “He told me to stay away from her. We weren’t pleased with that answer, so for the time being we’re dating in secret. That’s why I want to make sure word of this doesn’t reach Boss.”

            “Hmm. . . I would be delighted to help, of course, though I don’t see why Sakura-san disapproves.” Yusuke stroked his chin contemplatively. “It’s not as though you’ve given him reason to distrust you.”

            “Apart from dating Futaba behind his back, of course,” jeered Ryuji with an unwelcome smirk.

            Akira shot him an annoyed glance before sighing and addressing Yusuke’s comment. “I feel the same, but Boss’s judgment is final. I just have to find a way to change his mind.”

            “I’m sure you can do it, dude. Lemme know if there’s anything I can do to help. I got your back!” Ryuji reached out and clapped him on the shoulder in support.

            “I shall offer my aid as well, if there is ever need of it.” Yusuke smiled encouragingly.

            The support from his friends made Akira feel just a little better, and he found himself smiling in turn, leaning back as they engaged in casual conversation; about the kinds of dates Akira and Futaba had been on, about what it was like to hide it from Sojiro, and about what they planned to do now. The conversation continued for a long while.

            Ryuji was the first to pull out his phone and note the time. “Ah, man. . . It’s getting late. I don’t want my mom to worry, so I’m gonna’ get going.”

            “Don’t forget to study for your exams, Ryuji,” Yusuke added as they both stood.

            “Ugh, why’d you have to go and remind me? I guess I _should_ probably study. . . But now that we’re in on Akira’s little secret, it’s gonna be so hard to focus!”

            Morgana reared his head from within Akira’s bag. “Don’t you dare use Joker as an excuse to get bad grades.”

            “I won’t, I won’t. . . Jeez, quit gettin’ on my case, cat.” Ryuji rubbed his forehead in annoyance before looking to Akira, who he offered a wide grin. “Thanks for hangin’ out with us today, man! And don’t worry, Sojiro won’t hear a peep outta’ me.”

            “Thank you for paying for my meal as well, Akira. It seems I am indebted to you once again.” Yusuke dipped his head forward in a bow of thanks.

            “But man, I’m all fired up to help now! I’m gonna go home and start thinking up a plan to help get you outta’ this tough spot.”

            Akira smiled at the thought, and at his friends in general as he too stood, lifting the bag that held Morgana. “I appreciate the gesture, but let me try to handle it first.”

            "Right on, dude. I’ll see you at school tomorrow. Maybe we can study after, if you don’t got a hot date or nothin’.” He offered a teasing grin before turning toward the exit to go.

            “Goodnight, Akira.” Yusuke left, leaving Akira and Morgana alone in the diner.

 _I’ve got some good friends._ He pocketed his hands and prepared for the journey home to Leblanc.

           

 

 

            While the boys conversed in the diner, the femme fatales of the Phantom Thieves got nice and comfortable in the Beef Bowl Shop across Central Street, all gathered around Futaba to hear her recount tales of love and romance.

            “So, is he a good kisser?” Ann asked, waiting with bated breath for an answer.

            Futaba reddened, holding her hands up defensively. “W-Why start with such embarrassing questions? And why do you even care?”

            “It’s important to me that you’re being treated well by your boyfriend. Plus, I just have to know! So, is he? Is he?”

            Makoto laughed. “I didn’t take you for such a gossip, Ann. . .”

            “I’m normally not, but one of my close friends is dating her first boyfriend, and he’s _another_ one of my close friends! It’s my duty as their friend and local expert to make sure it’s all going well.”

            Haru pressed a finger to her chin, thinking. “That all makes sense, but Ann-chan, didn’t you say you’ve never had a boyfriend?”

            Ann flinched as the chink in her armor was struck. “T-That doesn’t matter! I watch all the movies, so I know what makes a good boyfriend.”

            “Wait. . .” Futaba jabbed an accusing finger forward. “If you’ve never had a boyfriend, that means I’m _your_ superior in love!” She grinned at the micro-victory.

            “I-I said it doesn’t matter! Just answer the question!” Ann insisted.

            “Well . . . We’ve only kissed a few times. . .”

            The other girls leaned forward with fascination.

            Futaba pressed the tips of her index fingers against one another, toying with the air in-between as a small smile crawled to her lips. “But when he kisses me, I kinda feel like I’m the luckiest girl in the world. . . It’s like learning he loves me all over again. And he’s always so gentle. . .”

            Ann watched with fascination, beaming gleefully. “Aww, Futaba-chan! That’s so adorable!”

            “T-This is too embarrassing! Why are you guys making me say all this stuff?”

            “Because you’re just too cute!” Ann insisted.

            “Does he take you nice places for dates?” asked Haru.

            Futaba thought for a moment. “We normally don’t go anywhere fancy, since we live so close together, but we go nice places sometimes. . . He takes me to expensive restaurants, or sometimes we go to really high-end stores in Akihabara. And he’ll always get me really cute gifts, too. . . I put them all up on a shelf in my room, so I can look at them all together.”

            All the other girls watched as though they were enthralled by the tales. “Akira sounds like quite the romantic,” said Makoto.

            “He is!” Futaba confirmed with a few nods. “Sometimes, he’ll say these suave one liners that really fall flat. . . But they’re just even cuter that way if you ask me.”

            Haru giggled. “That sounds very much like Akira-kun!”

            “Mhm. Being his girlfriend is the best thing in the world! Which is why . . .” Her smile tapered off as she remembered the unfortunate circumstance surrounding their relationship.

            “Futaba-chan?” Makoto frowned quizzically.

            “I need you all to keep everything I’ve told you here a secret.” She scowled. “When Akira and I told him, stupid Sojiro said that Akira needs to stay away from me.”

            “Oh, right. . . Akira did mention that yesterday,” added Haru, frowning as well.

            “Well that doesn’t make any sense,” Ann proclaimed. “If everything you’ve said is true, he sounds like a great boyfriend.”

            “He is! But Sojiro doesn’t believe us. He thinks Akira isn’t serious about our relationship.”

            “Have you tried talking to him again? Maybe you need to tell him all the things you’ve told us,” said Makoto.

            “I’ve thought about it, but . . . it’s always so tense around Sojiro now. It’s hard to bring it up, I guess.”

            Trying to lighten the mood, Ann offered a smile and a laugh. “Don’t worry, Futaba-chan. I’m sure Boss will come around. He _does_ seem like the type to stonewall a guy, but I’m sure you and Akira can get through to him.”

            “Ann is right,” said Makoto. “He’ll see soon enough. And if my account will help, I can try talking to Sojiro as well.”

            “Mhm. We’ll do anything we can to help, Futaba-chan!” Haru offered a warm grin.

            “Guys. . .” Futaba nodded, encouraged by their kind words. “If you all think so, I’m sure Sojiro will accept us soon. Thank you.”  

            “No problem! But in return, you have to keep telling us everything there is to know about you and Akira,” said Ann with a mischievous grin.

            “Ugh, fine. . .” The girls kept talking about all the embarrassing details surrounding their relationship until there was nothing left to say.

 

 

            Akira went straight up to his room after arriving home in Leblanc; it was partially to avoid talking to Sojiro, but also because he was exhausted from being dragged out to Shibuya for what felt like an interrogation. He changed into his pajamas and fell back onto his bed.

            His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out from his pocket.

            Futaba: _I can’t believe those guys. . . They dragged us out, made us get them food, and questioned us all day!_

            Akira: _They meant well. And besides, it was a little fun._

            Futaba: _Maybe for you! They just asked me embarrassing stuff the whole time!_

            Akira: _C’mon. You seriously didn’t have any fun?_

            Futaba: _Well, no. . . I guess it was kind of fun. And it’s nice to know we have their help if we need it._

            Futaba: _Speaking of which, have you got any more of a plan about what to do with Sojiro?_

            Akira: _I think all I can do is talk to him. Last time, I didn’t make a very compelling case for myself, but this time I’m going to come prepared._

            Futaba: _Sounds good. And know that if you need me to, I’ll be just around the corner cheering you on, ready to tell him what an awesome boyfriend you are._

            Akira: _That’s all the motivation I’ll need._

            Futaba: _Then it’s settled! We’re going to be a full-fledged public relationship in no time. It’s kind of exciting._

            Akira: _I agree. Though I don’t know if I’m happy all our friends found out. . ._

            Futaba: _Oh, right. They didn’t ask you anything stupid, did they?_

            Akira: _Just Ryuji._

            Futaba: _You’re lucky. . . I had Ann drilling me for every detail I can imagine. And you can definitely tell that Makoto is the sister of a famous prosecutor. . . She’s terrifying as an interrogator!_

            Futaba: _But I’m sure it’ll be fine. The only thing I’m upset about is Ryuji and Inari having more ammo to fire back at me when I tease them. . . Just means I’ll have to work extra hard, though!_

Akira: _I’m sure you can handle them._

            Futaba: _Heehee, thanks! Shouldn’t you be getting to bed soon, though? I know you have exams coming up._

            Futaba: _Study hard, boyfriend!_

            Akira: _I will. Goodnight. I love you._

            Futaba: _Love you too!_

            He set his phone down by his side and closed his eyes, prepared to sleep, but was again interrupted by the sound of his phone.

            Morgana, who had at this point crawled onto the bed and nodded off, meowed with annoyance. “Put it on silent. . . I’m gonna die of exhaustion. . .”

            “We’ve only been in bed for two minutes,” said Akira as he checked the message.

            Ann: _Just texting to thank you for today. And to let you know that if you ever hurt Futaba, I’ll never forgive you!_

            Akira: _I wouldn’t dream of it._

            Ann: _Just kidding. According to Futaba, you’re the sweetest guy in town. Though it makes me wonder why you’re not always so tactful. . ._

Ann: _Wishing you the best! And oh, just in case you thought you could get away with just the guys, there’s no way I could trust Ryuji of all people to pull all the info out of you. I’ll be by at a later date to extract all the info I need!_

            Akira: _You’re kind of scary when you’re this determined, you know._

            Ann: _I consider that a compliment to my drive! Goodnight!_

            Akira: _Goodnight._

            This time, Akira set his phone down for good for the night as he pulled his covers over himself and bundled up within his bed. _They’re all supporting us. . . I can’t afford to let them down._ He let his mind wander to thoughts of Futaba, and how he was going to appease Sojiro, as he drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

 

            Akira reached out toward the handle of Leblanc’s front door, but froze up when his hand touched the metal. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, collecting his courage as he prepared to face his greatest challenge yet. For some reason, the thought of facing Sojiro scared him more than any palace ruler, but still he tried his best to carry on.

            The night prior, he and Futaba had agreed that this was the only way things were going to get better, so the only remaining course of action was for Akira to have a one on one confrontation with Sojiro and somehow manage to convince him. He’d run over his appeal hundreds of times in his head, but somehow every time he did he could only think of less and less to say. That didn’t matter, though; all he needed to do now was step through the door and make his case. He sighed to calm his nerves, and stepped into Leblanc.

            Sojiro stood at the counter, idly flipping through an old newspaper. Fortunately there were no customers to distract him; he looked over toward Akira, but looked back down at the counter as soon as he saw who it was. “Welcome back.”

            Their interactions for the past few weeks had often been like this, short and uncomfortable. On an ordinary day Akira would’ve offered a short reply and kept walking up to his room, but today was no ordinary day. He cleared his throat and spoke up.

            “Sakura-san. We need to talk.”

            “Hm? Everything alright?” asked Sojiro, though mainly as a formality; he wasn’t so dense that he didn’t see where this is going. “Take a seat. We can talk.”

            Akira nodded and took a seat at the counter across from Sojiro, keeping his back straight and hands set on his thighs. Good posture was an odd look for the boy, but he had to do everything he could to appeal to Sojiro.

            Boss folded up his newspaper and set his hands down on the counter, inhaling sharply. “Is this about Futaba?” he asked.

            “Yes.” Akira looked unfazed as Sojiro immediately leapt to the heart of the matter.

            “I thought I was very clear last time we had this discussion.”

            Sojiro’s stern visage was intimidating, but Akira had too much riding on this to give in now. “I didn’t get to make a case for myself last time, Sakura-san. Please, let me try one more time.”

            Silence descended over them, and lasted for a long time. Sojiro sized up Akira with a hawk’s eye, looking for any hesitation in the boy, but was unable to find any. He broke the quiet tension with a sigh. “Alright. I’ll hear you out.”

            Akira’s chest swelled with confidence; he hadn’t made any progress, sure, but just seeing that Sojiro was willing to listen was an improvement from last time. “Thank you, sir.” He inhaled deeply and began. “I want you to reconsider letting me and Futaba be together.”

            Sojiro sighed. “Look, I told you it wasn’t anything personal. But I’m not comfortable with the idea of her dating so young.”

            “I understand your apprehensions. But I’m only a year older than her, and I promise to be responsible and not do anything inappropriate for our age.”

            Sojiro scanned him with a furrowed brow. “It’s odd to see you being so respectful. . . Normally you’d be spitting snarky one liners. Are you just saying what you think I want to hear?”

            “This isn’t the time for that. I want you to know I’m serious about this relationship.” There was a stalwart determination in his squared shoulders and hard gaze.

            “Hm. . . That doesn’t address all of my concerns, though. What about all this Phantom Thieves business? You can’t deny the fact that ever since you moved here you’ve been causing all sorts of trouble. If Futaba gets any more roped up in that. . .”

            “That’s all the more reason for the two of us to be together,” Akira insisted. “We’re already roped up in it as is. But I can protect her. I _want_ to protect her. If I have to stay away from here, I won’t be able to do that. . .”

            His dedication caught Sojiro off guard – he hadn’t expected such firm resistance. “Besides that, there’s still the fact that haven’t even lived here a whole year, and you’ve known her for even less time. What if you two are just caught up in the fun of it all?”

            Akira shook his head firmly. “That isn’t the case. Futaba and I have been through a lot recently. . . I don’t think the bond between us is superficial.”

            Sojiro began to speak up, but couldn’t deny it. Akira’s probation and criminal records had no doubt tormented him over the past few months. Hell, even Sojiro himself hadn’t cut the kid a break when he’d first moved here, and Futaba’s predicament was so severe that only some kind of change of heart could free her from her self-imposed imprisonment. And not only that, but they’d been Phantom Thieves together ever since, and just by listening to them he could tell that it wasn’t an easy job. He found himself stroking his chin as he wondered whether or not keeping them apart was really the best call.

            “Sojiro, please. . . I need you to trust me. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Futaba. And I can’t speak for her, but I know that my life is better with her in it. And I think she feels the same way.” He bowed his head deeply. “So I’m begging you.”

            “Akira. . .” The skin on his forehead creased as his brow wrinkled. Looking at the boy before him, it was hard to imagine him ever taking any action to hurt Futaba, and it didn’t seem like he was lying either. “I . . . understand, but I’m still apprehensive. . . Give me some time to think about it. Is that all you wanted to say?”  

            “Yes, sir.” Feeling confident in the arguments he made for himself, Akira stood, bowing respectfully. “I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”

            “Yeah. Rest well.” Sojiro watched as Akira turned to head upstairs, sighing once he saw that he was gone. “What a troublesome kid I’ve taken in.”

 

            As Akira laid down in his bed, Morgana leapt up onto the mattress and curled up next to him. “Not bad with the negotiations. . . I think you really had the upper hand there.”

            “You think so?” he asked in return.

            “Yeah. I’m sure Sojiro will come to his senses. All we can do now is wait.” Morgana laughed. “It’s almost like waiting for a change of heart!”

            A small smile tugged at the corners of Akira’s lips. “Yeah, I guess it is.” He rolled over and closed his eyes, though didn’t wind up finding any rest as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out.

            Futaba: _Sojiro just came home. Did you talk to him?_

Akira: _I did._

            Futaba: _How’d it go?_

            Akira: _Can’t say for sure. He told me he’d think on it, but I’m pretty sure I did an okay job convincing him._

Akira: _I think._

Futaba: _You sound like Mona._

            Futaba: _Well, at least there’s some good news. . . But still, I’m so anxious, and I wasn’t even the one talking to him! I can’t imagine how you felt._

            Akira: _It wasn’t so bad. All I had to do was think about how important you are to me._

            Futaba: _Somehow, your one liners are even more embarrassing in text form. But that’s sweet!_

            Futaba: _I hope Sojiro makes up his mind soon. I’m not gonna be able to stop worrying about this. . ._

            Akira: _If there’s anything I can do to make you feel better, let me know._

            Futaba: _Will do. Goodnight, boyfriend!_

Akira: _Goodnight._

            He checked one last time for any other messages before shutting his phone screen off and setting it beside him. He closed his eyes and tried to rest, despite the anxiousness he felt.

 

            His night so far had been restless and uncomfortable when his phone buzzed. Akira moved careful beneath his blanket, so as to not wake Morgana as he pulled out his phone. _1:07 AM. . ._ He undid the lock and checked his messages.

            Futaba: _Are you awake?_

            Akira: _Yeah._

            Futaba: _Oh, good._

            Futaba: _I can’t sleep._

            Akira: _Me neither._  

            Akira: _Thinking about Boss?_

            Futaba: _Yeah. What if he says no?_

            Futaba: _We’ll really be done for if that’s the case._

            Akira: _It’s rough. But I’m sure he’ll take our side. And if he doesn’t, I’ll just start working even harder to get his approval._

            Futaba: _You’re sweet. And I really hope you’re right. . ._

            The messages between the two stopped for a while. Akira didn’t know what to say; he couldn’t think of any way to motivate her. Truthfully, the more time passed, the less motivated he was himself. If his case was that convincing, Sojiro would’ve said yes already. . . The doubts started to grip at his mind when he received another message.

            Futaba: _I want to see you._

            Futaba: _I think I’ll be able to calm down if we can talk about this together. Can I come over?_

            Akira thought for a moment. It was true that she tended to have a calming effect on him . . . and if he had the same effect on her, this might be the best course of action. Not only that, but he wanted to see her too. Just in case this all went south, he wanted another late night coffee date for the road.

            Akira: _Please do. I’ll be downstairs when you get here._

            He sat up and deftly maneuvered out of the bed, careful not to wake his obnoxious cat as he paced downstairs in his pajamas.

            Futaba arrived at the door not long after he’d taken a seat at the counter. The dim moonlight illuminated the street outside and made her seem almost ephemeral, somehow even more beautiful than she was in the day. Akira thanked Yongen’s residents for shutting off all their lights early every night. She waved through the window, a miniscule smile on her weary face that made Akira’s heart skip a beat.

            He hastily approached the door, fiddling with the lock and less-than-graciously opening the door. “Hey.”

            She stepped in quietly and looked around. “Sorry for keeping you up late again.”

            “Don’t mention it. Not like I was asleep. Coffee?”

            “Mhm.” She bobbed her head up and down and took a seat to get comfortable.

            The two sat in silence for a long while, the only sounds being the occasional shuffling of Akira behind the counter and the sounds of the siphons. The atmosphere was peaceful, but tense; both wanted to talk but couldn’t bring themselves to, as though introducing any more negativity to the atmosphere might suffocate them.

            “I-I’m sorry. . .” Futaba bashfully looked to the side. “I shouldn’t have come over.”

            “Futaba. . .” He shook his head firmly. “You don’t have to be sorry.”

            “Yeah. . . It’s just. . .” She sighed. “It sucks. Whenever we’re together, all we can ever seem to talk about is this Sojiro situation. . . It feels like forever since we just had a normal conversation.”

            Akira’s face hardened in distress as he looked over her. He spent a long time looking over her small frown, slumped shoulders, and unkempt hair, and knew that he had to do something; nothing hurt him more than seeing her sad. He forced a smile to his lips and leaned down, pouring her cup of coffee. “I’ve got an idea,” he said, trying to inject some happiness into his voice. “Instead of thinking about everything that’s going wrong lately, let’s talk about everything that can go right.”

            “. . . What do you mean?” asked Futaba as she took her cup and started to drink.

            “Let’s talk about the future. We haven’t done that in a while.”

            Even if he was forcing himself to be happy, his joy was infectious. Futaba nodded swiftly before lowering her glass. “You’re right. There’s no point to talking about things we can’t control, so let’s talk about things we can.”

            “That’s the spirit.” Akira thought for a moment, looking for a subject of conversation. “How’re you feeling about going to school next year?”

            “To be honest? I’m kind of excited.” Her posture loosened as her familiar bubbliness creeped into her body language. “I’ve been reading some of the review materials they gave me to make sure I’m ready for second year courses, and it’s all so _easy._ I know I’m gonna get good grades.”

            “Well, you _are_ a genius. I’d be more surprised if you didn’t do well.”

            “Your vote of confidence is appreciated!” She beamed widely, though her expression became more appreciative. “But that’s not all. So much has changed for me lately. . . Thanks to you, I think I’m going to be able to make a lot of friends.”

            Akira laughed. "You're going to be popular. But don’t get _too_ popular. I don’t wanna have to terrorize the lowerclassmen guys for trying to take my girlfriend.”

            “Ooh, could the rumors about the fabled delinquent of Shujin be true?” she asked with a giggle. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to be jealous of any guys.”

            “I dunno. . . I’m already sort of jealous. I won’t get to see you in a school uniform every day,” he teased.

            “You perv. You see girls in school uniforms all the time!” She slapped his shoulder to chastise him.

            “Yeah, true. But they’re not as cute as you.”

            “Quit being such a charmer.” She hummed for a moment before taking charge of the conversation herself. “So what about you? We haven’t talked too much about what you’ve got planned.”

            “I dunno’. . . I’ve had my hands full just coasting by this year, plus leading the Phantom Thieves. Haven’t really put too much effort toward thinking about next year.” Akira watched her, and realized she didn’t look satisfied with that answer, so he kept going. “I’m trying to keep my grades up so I can get into a good school in Tokyo, so I guess I need to do well on my exams next year. Maybe we can study together.”

            Futaba’s eyebrows arched upwards. “You’re thinking about going to school in Tokyo? I thought you were going back home in March.” As she reminded herself of this, a pang of sadness shot through her. She’d forgotten entirely that they only had a few more months to be together.

            “Well, I am, but only until I graduate. I plan to be on the first train back to Tokyo right after the ceremony.”

            “You’re . . . gonna come back that soon?” she asked, still bewildered.

            It was Akira’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “Are you upset about it?”

            “N-No! I’m . . .” She grinned. “I’m the exact opposite of upset. I was so worried that you weren’t going to be around anymore. . .”

            “What?” He set his hand on top of hers and shook his head. “Of course I’m going to be around. It’s not too far by train to get to Tokyo, so I’m gonna visit often. And like I said, I’ll be back here before you know it. I could never stay away from you.”

            “T-That’s right. . . Because you’re my boyfriend.” She nodded to herself to reaffirm it. “Akira . . . remember what we talked about when we first started dating? I wanted to stay by your side . . . forever.”

            “I remember.”

            “Well . . . I-if you don’t mind . . . I want you to promise me that you’ll never change your mind. Even after you move away. . .” She stared at their overlapping hands, a warm fondness present in her smile. “I know I’m weird, and that I can be annoying—“

            Akira set a finger over her lips. “I don’t want to hear you say anything bad about yourself. In my mind, there’s nothing wrong with you at all.” He wrapped both his hands around hers, holding them tightly. “I told you before that I want you by my side forever. And I promise that will never change.”

            “Akira. . .” She giggled girlishly. “You’re such a sap.”

            “What? You made me say it. That’s no fair.” He tugged her closer playfully, and they both shared a laugh.

            “. . . I love you.” The liberty to say those words always made her heart melt.

            He held her closer. “I love you too.” Akira drew her into a long kiss that whisked both of them away from all of their problems. The only things that were important when their lips intertwined was the soft and tender sensation of each other, and the quickened beating of their hearts. Not wanting to separate, they kept at it for a long time, each advancing and retreating as they felt comfortable. They may have continued forever –

            If the door to Leblanc hadn’t opened.

            They split apart almost immediately and tore their eyes from each other to the door, where Sojiro stood. _Maybe he didn’t see us,_ thought Akira’s brain in a panicked attempt to protect itself, but the glass panels that composed the door made certain that he had – and besides, any doubt there had been that Sojiro might not have noticed was eviscerated when Akira saw the stern, angry look on Sojiro’s face.

            Sojiro said nothing. He crossed his arms and stood, looking to the two of them, gauging their responses.

            Futaba quaked like a cornered animal. “S-Sojiro! What . . . what’re _you_ doing here?” she asked, as casually as she could manage.

            “I was facing a difficult decision,” he said, his tone not any different than normal, though the teenagers could still tell he was seething. “Couldn’t sleep. I figured some late night coffee might calm me down.” Sojiro looked them over with piercing eyes. “I see I wasn’t the only one who thought that.”

            Akira struggled to think of anything to say. He knew he had to defend himself, but the words wouldn’t come; he had no way to explain being up this late, and he couldn’t even imagine justifying the fact that he’d been kissing her just a moment ago. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Sojiro spoke up for him.

            “What are you two doing?”

            Futaba’s first instinct was to think of an excuse, but Akira knew coming clean was the only option. He spoke. “We wanted to see each other.”

            “Behind my back?” asked Sojiro, one eyebrow raised high. He could be surprisingly intimidating when he wanted to be.

            “. . . Yes,” he admitted shamefully.

            “I knew you two were acting strange lately.” Sojiro brought a hand to his forehead and caressed it in an effort to deal with the stress quickly overcoming him. “I told you to stop seeing her. How long have you two been doing this?”

            “We . . . never stopped, sir.”

            “What?” Sojiro widened his eyes, not expecting such an honest – and grave – answer. His anger grew by the second. “I can’t believe that you’d go behind my back like this – you’ve always been so well behaved. And you, Futaba. . . I’m very disappointed.” He shook his head.

            She was frozen by fear and shock, as she often was when Sojiro confronted the two of them about something. The last time she’d been this afraid was when he’d found her calling card. Still, she mustered the strength to speak for herself. “I-I’m sorry, Sojiro, but being with him is so important to me . . . even if you told me I had to, I couldn’t stand breaking up with him!”

            “Sakura-san, I can’t apologize enough for this disrespect, but this doesn’t change anything I said earlier. Please –“

            “I don’t want to hear it.” Sojiro spoke with an uncharacteristic curtness. “Even if everything you said was true, you’ve clearly shown me that I can’t trust you. I didn’t think the two of you would be so disrespectful. You couldn’t even suspend this for one day to wait for me to make a decision!”

            “Sojiro. . .” Tears welled in Futaba’s eyes as she watched helplessly. “Y-You can’t!”

            “I’m sorry, Futaba.” For a moment, he looked regretful. “But I can’t approve of you having a boyfriend who won’t be honest and up front with me.”

            “You’re overreacting! Can’t you see how much he means to me?” she asked as tears streamed down her face. She clenched her fists at her side.

            Even if he was furious, watching Futaba cry made Sojiro’s heart ache. Part of him would do anything to make her stop, but at the same time, he felt some need to enforce his decision. He was thrown into conflict with himself again. “. . . We’ll continue this discussion later. Go to bed, Akira. Futaba, we’re going home.”

            Neither of the kids had any resistance left in them. Akira nodded begrudgingly and turned to walk upstairs, wanting to turn around and fight for her, but he knew it would just make matters worse. _I have to respect Sojiro’s decision._ He ascended the stairs.

            Futaba watched him go. Defeat crept over her like a shade and rendered her helpless to do anything but walk out the door and head back home.

            Morgana was waiting for Akira when he reached the top of the stairs. Akira thought for a minute that Morgana was going to complain at him for waking him up, but surprisingly, the cat only looked concerned. “Is everything okay . . .? That didn’t sound so good. . .”  

            “Yeah. . . Everything’s alright,” he said, his emotions and expressions indecipherable. “Sorry for waking you. Let’s go to bed.”

            “Don’t mention it. . .” Morgana watched as Akira shuffled toward his mattress and collapsed into it.

           

 

 

            “What!? That’s so lame!” shouted Ryuji.

            The Phantom Thieves, sans Akira and Futaba, gathered outside the subway station where the group had used to meet when it was smaller. Morgana perched himself on the railing and served as discussion leader.

            “Not so loud!” Morgana hissed. “But that’s the case. Sojiro found out about Futaba and Akira last night. He’s split them up.”

            “This is horrible. . . I wonder if it was my fault,” Haru said, despairing.

            “It wasn’t anyone’s fault,” said Ann. “But still. . . I’m so mad. I can’t believe Boss would do that to them!”

            “I know. . . They seemed perfect for each other,” said Makoto, cupping her chin as she thought.

            “Their relationship appeared to be truly beautiful.” Yusuke shook his head, clearly distraught.

            Morgana looked over the group. “I didn’t gather you guys here so we could all be downers together.” The cat’s usual, devilish tone crept into his voice. “I think the only way we can solve this problem is with an operation.”

            Ryuji’s was the first face to brighten. “Oh, I see. . . We’re gonna’ get them back together!”

            “That’s right. It’s a welcome change to see you actually catch onto something for once,” Morgana said in the most patronizing way possible.

            Ryuji grinned. “Hey, thanks. I think I – wait, quit insulting me, you stupid cat!”

            Morgana chuckled to himself. “Nonetheless, I have a plan, and I’m going to need all of your help for it.

            “Count me in. Romance is one thing I’m always on board to protect!” said Ann with a wide smile.

            “I, too, wish to preserve this sacred union.” Yusuke pushed off of the railing he leaned on, brow furrowing with concentration.  

            “I’m in too. We have to look out for our friends.” Makoto nodded.

            “Futaba-chan and Akira-kun really do deserve each other. . . I want to help!” Haru said with an uncharacteristically fierce determination.

            “Sounds like everybody. . .” said Ryuji as he leaned over the railing, grinning as he always did when it was time to get down to business.

            “Then we’ve reached a unanimous decision. Now, listen closely. . .” said Morgana as he began to elaborate.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves enact their master plan to get their power couple back together.

            Ryuji groaned as he hoisted his school bag over his shoulder, filled to the brim with paper and books. “Y’know, Morgana, I’m still down for helpin’ Akira and all, but when you said we were gonna do an ‘Operation’ I figured it’d be the usual Phantom Thief ass-kickin’, not . . . this.” He shifted the bag over his shoulder to accentuate just how heavy it was.  

            “Are you kidding?” Morgana sighed. “You’re so dense, Skull. There’s no way Akira would want us to change Sojiro’s heart, if he even has a shadow in Mementos. We have to do things a little more conventionally this time. And don’t call me Morgana right now. This is an operation, so codenames are vital!”

            “Right, right. Mona then. Well, as always, I’ll be the vanguard.” Ryuji cracked his knuckles, a demonic grin appearing as he psyched himself up into operation mode. “Go make sure the others are ready.”

            Morgana nodded, the grave seriousness on his cat form’s face looking almost comical. “Good luck, Skull.”

            He watched as Morgana ran off and inhaled deeply. “Time for a serious operation. . . This one is a matter of life and death.”

            He entered Leblanc. “Yo, Akira!” Ryuji shouted. “You really gotta help me out, man!”

            Akira stared at him from behind the counter, looking perhaps more shocked than Sojiro who stood a ways away from him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, voice laced with concern.

            “I’m, like, totally screwed, dude! Y’know how Mr. Hiruta’s really chill about late work and stuff?” he asked eccentrically. Normally it would’ve looked suspicious, but Ryuji was always eccentric, so it blended in quite well.

            “Uh. . . N-No, I don’t get that impressio—“

            “That doesn’t matter!” interrupted Ryuji. “Anyway, he’s giving us a late work deadline, and I haven’t done any of it! You gotta help me out, man!”

            Akira groaned. “With the way you came in here, I expected something urgent. . . How much work do you have to do?” he asked as he took his apron off.

            “This much.” Ryuji unzipped his backpack and dumped out a mountain of papers and notebooks that were half done. In truth, some of it really _was_ Ryuji’s homework, but most of them were printouts they’d found online. After all, it only had to _look_ like Akira was a homework guru.

            Bewilderment didn’t begin to describe Akira’s surprise at the colossal stack of homework. “R-Ryuji, this is a lot. . . Are you passing _any_ of your classes?”

            “Hey! We’ve handled worse! And if anyone can do it, I know it’s you. Y’know. Since you’re so smart and all.” He inconspicuously glanced at Sojiro to see his reaction. The older man in question stared with a similar surprise, glancing between Akira and Ryuji fervently. Ryuji had to hide his smirk of satisfaction.

            “Alright, fine. . . When’s the deadline? If we work all day today and tomorrow, we should be able to get it done. . .” Akira took a seat and immediately started filtering through the papers.

            Ryuji beamed and clapped Akira on the shoulder. “You’re the best, man! It’s insane how you’re so reliable and all. I bet I could show up with _anything_ and you’d be able to help!”

            Akira’s brow furrowed; this whole interaction had seemed suspicious at first, but the constant compliments flying his way were even weirder. And could one teacher even assign this much homework? It didn’t seem possible, even if he hadn’t done any homework all year. . .

            Ryuji didn’t seem to note his partner’s frustration and instead stroked his chin, over-acting his contemplation. “But man, if we’re gonna work this hard, we need snacks. . . Do we have stuff for curry in the fridge, boss?”

            Sojiro was snapped out of his daze by the direct address. “We should. . . I made some recently.” He paced to the fridge and opened it to see what was left. “W-what? I swear I just made more curry!” All of his ingredients were gone, and the pot of curry he’d already made was licked clean.

            Ryuji found it harder to hide his elation at this development. It had been Haru’s idea to have Morgana eat or hide all the curry and ingredients the night before. Everything was going perfectly. “Man, that sucks! Maybe Akira here ate it all while you weren’t lookin’.” He slapped Akira’s shoulder jokingly. “But if it wouldn’t be too much of a bother to ask, could you go buy us some snacks? I’ll pay!”

            Sojiro sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I’ll bet it was the cat. . .” he said, causing Ryuji to snicker. “Looks like I have to go grocery shopping anyway. I’ll get you something.”

            “Thanks! We like snacks from the convenience store on Central Street.”

            Akira paid close attention to the conversation, and his brow furrowed once more when such a specific location was mentioned. _Am I imagining things?_ he thought to himself as he shook his head. _Maybe I’m just tired . . . I didn’t sleep well last night, after all._ Ever since the forced break up he’d had a hard time relaxing.

            “I go there for groceries sometimes, so sure, I’ll stop by. I’ll see you kids when I get back.” Sojiro walked toward the door and looked back to Akira, giving him an indecipherable glance before exiting the building.

            Ryuji couldn’t contain an arrogant laugh. “Part one, success. . .” he muttered to himself as he clenched his fist shut in quiet celebration. He pulled out his phone and fired off a text.

            Ryuji: _Boss is on his way to the convenience store. Phase 1 went off without a hitch! Passing the baton!_

            Makoto: _Nice work, Skull. I’m ready with Phase 2._

            He closed his chat app and turned toward the pile of homework. “Alright, let’s get started, Joker!”

            “Joker?” asked Akira.

            “Wait, wait, Akira. . . No codenames for you,” he said with a laugh.

            “What’s going on, Ryuji?”

            “Nothin’. Now come on, let’s kick this homework’s butt!” He sat down and began to work through the pieces he actually _did_ need for class.

           

 

            Sojiro stepped into the convenience store and looked around. It was surprisingly not crowded, so he didn’t have any trouble gathering the ingredients he needed, as well as some sodas and chips for the boys. As he rifled through the stock of the store, he couldn’t help but think about his encounter with Akira and Futaba two nights ago, and how neither of them had really spoken to him since. _Maybe I was too hard on them. . ._ he thought. _They’re just kids, after all._

            He stepped up to the cashier and prepared to pay. A cute girl in the lurid uniform of the convenience store greeted him with a wide smile. “Welcome, sir!”

            “Just ring this stuff up, please,” he said, fumbling a bit. He was great at taking orders, not making them. Still, as she worked, two other people entered the convenience store.

            “Is that you, Sakura-san?” asked Haru, looking as bubbly as always. Makoto walked in next to her.

            “It is! What a coincidence,” said Makoto, carrying herself with a bit too much confidence.

            Sojiro cocked an eyebrow in mild surprise. “What’re you two doing here?” he asked with a small smile.

            “We were just coming to see if Akira-kun was working today. We wanted to watch him.” Haru nodded as if confirming this statement to herself, then nodded as if confirming the statement to Sojiro. Her acting was atrocious, but it was at least masked by her usual ditsiness.

            “No, Akira’s at . . . home.” Sojiro felt the cogs of his mind moving as suspicion arose. _Running into three of Akira’s friends in one day. . ._

            “That’s too bad,” Makoto said, looking strangely and unnaturally disappointed. “As his student council president, I wanted to see if he was as diligent at his job as he is at school.”

            “Oh, you two know Kurusu-kun?” asked the clerk.

            “Yes. He’s our very dear and close friend,” said Haru.

            “What a coincidence! I was actually his mentor when he first started working here. Not that he needs my help anymore.”

            Sojiro looked between the chatting girls, struggling to keep up. “Does he do good work here?”

            “He does! Any day when he’s working, things are much easier here. And the customers love him!” the clerk said with a beaming grin, different than the plastic one she had previously been wearing for customers.

            “I’m not surprised. I figured you wouldn’t be either, Sakura-san, considering how often he helps at Leblanc,” said Makoto.  

            “Right. . . He does work pretty hard. I guess I’m not too surprised.” Sojiro scratched the back of his head. Something still seemed fishy about this whole interaction. _This is strange. . . Though, I guess he is pretty hard working. . . It’s probably nothing._ He shrugged it off _._ “Anyway, the boys are working on some homework back at Leblanc. I told them I’d get some snacks to them, so I’d better do that.”

            “Oh, alright. Goodbye, Sakura-san!” Haru waved exaggeratedly.

            “Tell Akira I said hello.” Makoto offered a small wave herself as Sojiro left the shop, before immediately pulling out her phone.

            Makoto: _Plan so far is a total success. Passing the baton._

            Yusuke: _Glad to hear, Queen. Panther and I will handle the rest._

            Haru: _Good luck, Fox!_

 

 

            Sojiro carried the grocery bags down the alleys of Yongen-Jaya with an uncommon contemplative look, thinking about how odd it was that he’d run into so many of Akira’s friends just days after forcing Akira and Futaba to break up. _And the way they’re acting seems suspicious. . ._

            He was shaken from his thoughts when he collided with a person standing in front of him. “M-My bad!” Sojiro exclaimed as he took a step back to get a look at who he’d hit.

            Yusuke turned around slowly, trying to make it look like it had been an accident and he hadn’t just totally jumped in front of Sojiro. “It is my fault. I shouldn’t have been standing in the middle . . . Oh, Sakura-san. What a coincidence.”

            “Another one of . . .” Sojiro frowned as the pieces fell together. _Oh, I get it. . . He put them up to this, didn’t he?_ He looked around, and sure enough, Ann was posing next to one of the second-hand stores in Yongen. Seeing yet another of Akira’s fellow thieves confirmed his suspicions. _I know I’m old, but just how dumb do you kids think I am?_

            Still, he didn’t want them thinking he was on to their plan. He grinned from ear to ear, only partially acting as he let himself be amused by their antics. “Oh, you two. What brings you out here? Looking for Akira?”

            “No, I’m here to pursue a project of my own. I’m working on a piece that blurs the lines between the surreal and the mundane, and this neighborhood does just that. The streets of Yongen-Jaya are undoubtedly those of a city, so how do they manage to make one seem so comfortable as though they were in their countryside hometown?” Yusuke swung his arms about with a fervent intensity. “I must understand the magic of this district!” Sojiro couldn’t help but chuckle, amused.

            Ann quickly intervened, as Yusuke’s tirade went a bit further than they’d planned. “A-And I’m here to help him as a model! He’s drawn me before, so we thought if the object of the painting was something he understood it’d be easier for him.”

            “A-Ah, yes, that as well.” Yusuke cleared his throat to draw suspicion from himself. “But we seem to be having difficulty. . .”

            “Oh, that’s too bad.”

            “Yeah. . . If only Akira were here.” Ann swung her arms at her side, as she often did when her terrible acting was on display.

            “Yes, that would be fortunate. . .”

            “Really?” Sojiro asked, trying to sound as if he didn’t know what was going on. “I never took Akira for the artsy type.”

            “Oh, he’s very helpful, Sakura-san. Many of my greatest pieces were inspired by conversation with Akira. Not only is he diligent enough to stick with me throughout the entire creative process, but his theories are profound. He truly is an intelligent man.”

            “I see. . .” If he needed any more evidence that they were trying to talk Akira up, he’d gotten it. “Well, I hope the painting goes well for you. I’ve got to get these snacks back to Leblanc though.”

            “Oh, okay! Tell Akira we said hey, Boss!” Ann and Yusuke waved and immediately went back to their “sketching,” Ann striking exaggerated poses in front of Yusuke. It looked so ridiculous that Sojiro almost couldn’t believe they expected him _not_ to notice. _To think Akira would make them do something like this . . . but I guess I’m glad he’s got such close friends._ He laughed and made his way back to Leblanc.

 

 

            “We really didn’t make that much progress at all, did we?” Ryuji asked, doing his best to sound disappointed. In reality, he’d gotten done all the assignments he needed to _and_ the plan went off without a hitch, so he was pretty damn satisfied, but the operation wasn’t over yet. He needed to stay in character.

            “Nope. . .” Akira sighed. “You can come over again tomorrow. We can keep working, I guess. . .”

            Sojiro washed cups from behind the counter, hiding his amused smirk. He was surprised that the boys were dedicated enough to the plan to _actually_ do all of this homework.

            “Guess I’ll be over here again pretty soon then. Thanks for lettin’ us use the store, Boss.”

            “Don’t mention it. It was a slow day anyway.”

            Ryuji packed up the last of his homework and stood up. “Well, I’ll see you at school tomorrow, Akira!” He waved and shoved off, leaving Akira and Sojiro alone in the store.

            The atmosphere grew a lot heavier when it was just the two of them. Akira stood up and started to go to his room, desperate to escape from the stifling air, but was surprisingly stopped by a call from Sojiro. “Not so fast.”

            Akira spun around quickly, more out of surprise than anything. He cleared his throat and straightened his back. “Yes, Sakura-san?”

            Sojiro laughed. “You don’t have to play dumb with me. I noticed your little plan.”

            “My . . . plan?” he asked back, dumbfounded.

            “It was a little suspicious that I kept running into your friends all day. Can’t believe you put them up to something so stupid. . .” He sighed, though smiled genuinely. “Still, it was nice of them to stick up for you like that.”

            “Sakura-san, I really don’t know what you’re talking about. . .”

            The door opened, catching both of their attention. “G-Guys?” Akira asked, shocked as all of his friends (minus Futaba) walked in.

            “He didn’t put us up to it, Boss.” Ryuji grinned and jerked a thumb at himself. “It was all our idea.”

            “What’re you all talking about?” Akira asked, the only one who didn’t know what was going on.

            Surprisingly, Sojiro clarified. “They’ve been ‘coincidentally’ running into me all day, and talking about what a great guy you are.”

            “Mhm. We wanted to show Sojiro that you really are a wonderful person, Akira-kun,” elaborated Haru.

            “That’s why we all made sure to pay you our best compliments while we were out today,” added Ann, offering a thumbs up of support.

            “And that’s not all,” said Makoto with a chuckle of satisfaction. “We wanted to show him that you have a group of friends who know how great you are, and who want to support you no matter what.”

            “Sakura-san, we are sorry for manipulating you,” said Yusuke, “but all the things we’ve said are true.”

            Ryuji paced over to Akira and threw his arm around his shoulder. “And besides! If Akira can make this many friends, that should be proof enough that he’ll be a great boyfriend for Futaba.”

            “I just know they’re perfect for each other, Boss! So . . . please let them be together?” Ann pleaded.

            Sojiro found his eyes jumping from person to person as they all spoke, overwhelmed by the massive amount of support Akira was receiving. He’d noticed their plan, sure, but he didn’t expect them to be the ones behind it instead of Akira. And it was true that none of the things they’d said had been necessarily _wrong_. . .

            “Even if this is all true, it doesn’t change the fact that he wouldn’t listen to me. . .”

            “But that’s just more evidence that they belong together!” Ryuji insisted. “It takes serious balls to go behind a father’s back because you care about his daughter so much.”

            “Akira is the most trustworthy person I know, Sakura-san. I guarantee it,” said Makoto with a firm nod.

            “Guys. . .” Akira felt a warmth spread through him at their efforts, but he shook his head in spite of his happiness. “You shouldn’t have gone out of your way for me. And certainly not to annoy Sojiro.”

            “No way!” hissed Morgana from the floor. “We can’t have our Joker and Oracle being all upset. And you would’ve done the same for any other Phantom Thief.”

            “Mona’s right,” said Haru. “So, Sakura-san?”

            “Will you please reconsider letting Futaba and Akira be together?” Makoto bowed her head, as did all the other Phantom Thieves.

            Sojiro groaned. “You kids just don’t know when to quit, do you?” He pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled deeply, holding his breath there for a long time.

            “Fine. But if you do anything –“

            The remainder of his statement was interrupted by the cheers of the Phantom Thieves. “We did it, guys!” shouted Ann. 

            “Operation success!” Morgana cockily declared, hopping onto the table. “Looks like you owe us now, Akira.”

            Ryuji tightened his arm around his friend’s neck and ruffled his hair. “Hell yeah! I knew we could do it!”

            “G-Guys, guys! Calm down!” Akira said through laughs as he freed himself from the headlock. He turned toward Sojiro. “I promise I won’t give you any more reason to distrust me.” He struggled to contain his ecstasy as he bowed, trying to look as formal as possible.

            “I’m sure you won’t.” Sojiro smiled at the Phantom Thieves as they celebrated, all the teenagers cheering and laughing. _I guess there’s no way it could go that poorly if they have friends like this. . ._

            Akira returned his attention to his fellow thieves. “You guys. . . I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to repay you for this.”

            “You can repay _me_ with details about all your future dates,” Ann jeered. “But we were happy to do it!”

            “And we’ll all be happy as long as you and Futaba are happy. Speaking of which. . .” Haru and the others looked toward Sojiro with bated breath.

            “. . . Go see her.”

            Akira wasted no time pushing past his friends and out the door as they cheered him on.  

 

 

 

            Futaba laid atop her bed, wrapped tightly in her winter blanket, cheeks stained with tears from her most recent bout of crying. She’d seen girls behave like this after break ups in games and TV-shows, but she never thought she’d be in the situation herself, let alone as the result of her invasive adoptive father. She knew it was silly, but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to do anything but wrap herself up and cry. Something about the despair of not having Akira anymore trapped her in her bed; she hadn’t felt this unwilling to go out and do things in a while.

            A knock sounded from the door. Futaba reflexively started to peel away the blanket burrito, but stopped when she remembered how angry she was. “Go away, Sojiro. I don’t wanna talk to you.”

            “It’s not Sojiro.”

            She sat up. “A-Akira? Is that you?” she asked as she immediately stood and rushed the door.

            “It is. Can I come in?”

            “You’re not supposed to be here. . . Did you sneak past Sojiro?” She fumbled with her hands as she unlocked the door.

            Akira rubbed the back of his neck, and for a moment Futaba was worried, but her concern changed to surprise when she saw his sheepish grin. “Not exactly. I have some good news.”

            “What is it?” she asked, before realizing what must have happened. “. . . No way.”

            “Way. He gave us his permission.” 

            She froze in place. For a long time, she didn’t move. Akira would’ve been worried, but he knew by now that this was how she dealt with particularly shocking – and good – news. That’s why he was ready when she finally moved and leapt onto him, jumping off the ground and into his arms as she tightly embraced him. “Akira . . .!”

             He spun her around and set her down in the hall, though still held her close as he looked down in ecstasy. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

            “Yes! I’m so happy!” She pressed her head to his chest before she looked up quizzically. “Wait, what’d you do? How’d you convince him?”

            “ _I_ didn’t do anything. Let’s just say we have some pretty amazing friends.”

            “Wha . . . Those guys. . . Considering how annoying they are, they sure can be sweet. . . What exactly did they do?”

            “I’m sure they’ll tell you more about it later. I don’t even know the whole story myself. I couldn’t wait to get over here and tell you.”

            “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. . . All that matters is that I can finally be with you.” She let herself melt into his loving embrace. “And now there’s nothing to stop us from being together forever.” The two stood there in the hallway for a long while, content to remain in one another’s arms.

            Futaba was the first to pull away. “Where’s Sojiro? We should go thank him properly.”

            “He should still be at Leblanc. Do you want to go see him?”

            Futaba nodded and stepped toward the exit, but stopped halfway. “Um, Akira. . .”

            “Hm?”

            “I wanted to thank you. For fighting for me.” She prodded at the floor with her foot, nervously rocking from side to side. “I-I mean, for trying to convince Sojiro, and being willing to go behind his back. . . If you didn’t really care about me, you wouldn’t have done that kind of stuff, so, uh . . . thanks.”

            “Futaba. . .” He stepped to his side and cupped her chin in his hands, drawing the two of them together for a short kiss. Her vision was filled with his smiling face after he backed away. “I love you more than anything. Of course I’d fight for you.”

            A pink dusting rose to her cheeks and she turned away, a girlish grin tugging at the corners of her lips. “R-Right. . . I always forget I’m so important to you . . . but you’re so important to me, so it’s only fair. . . I love you too.”

            “That’s right. And we’ll be together forever.” He took her hand and headed for the exit. “Come on. Let’s go talk to Sojiro.”

            “R-Right! Game face, Futaba!” She mentally prepared herself and the two left the Sakura residence.

 

 

            “There’s the happy couple!” shouted Ryuji as the pair walked in. They were met with applause from the other Phantom Thieves.

            “Y-You guys are still here?” squawked Futaba, ducking behind Akira for cover.

            “Of course we are! We wanted to be here for the valiant return of the Phantom Thieves power couple.” Ann grinned. “I’m so happy for you, Futaba!”

            “T-Thanks. . . I really do owe you guys. From what I understand, we couldn’t be together if it weren’t for you all.”

            “Don’t thank us.” Makoto gestured toward the cat who proudly groomed himself atop the table. “Morgana’s the one who came to us with the idea.”

            “You have every right to be impressed,” said Morgana as he licked his paw. “But we’re not who you’re here to see.”

            Sojiro cleared his throat from behind the counter. “Futaba – I, uh. . . Y-You feeling alright?”

            “Sojiro. . .” Futaba laughed. “Thank you so much. This means the world to me.”

            “Y-You shouldn’t be thanking me. In fact, I should be apologizing. . .” he sighed. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, and I should’ve listened to you. If he makes you happy, then it’s not fair for me to keep you two apart . . . even if I’m not ready for it. It’s scary for my little girl to be growing up so much so fast, but I’ll be ready for it from here on out. I’m still not happy you picked such a troublemaker, though. . .”

            “I’ll make sure to try and keep him in line.” She grinned, but slowly her expression became softer. “Oh, and . . . even if I get a boyfriend and grow up . . . y-you’ll always be my . . . d-dad, so don’t worry!” she spat out.

            “Aww—“ Ryuji pressed a hand over Ann’s mouth to silence her.

            “Futaba. . .” Sojiro beamed with a pride and happiness only a father could show. “I know.”

            “Aww yeah!” Ryuji pumped a fist over his head, no longer seeking to avoid interruption. “Looks like it’s a happy ending!”

            “We should throw a party to celebrate, as we would any successful operation,” suggested Yusuke.

            “I recommend sushi! I still haven’t gotten my reward for that time I watched over Sojiro,” purred Morgana.

            Akira pressed forcefully atop Morgana’s head. “You didn’t do a very good job of watching Boss in the first place, considering I was in that closet for hours. . .”

            Sojiro raised his eyebrows. “Wait, what? What closet?”

            “N-Nothing, Sojiro!” Futaba insisted as she covered Morgana’s mouth, muffling his stream of meows.

            “Ugh. . . I sure hope I’m making the right decision here. . .” The rest of the Phantom Thieves laughed as they went about preparations for the party.

 

 

            The party had long since ended and everyone had long since cleared out of Leblanc, leaving only Sojiro, Akira, and Futaba there. The youngest of the three had eaten too much and passed out on one of the tabletops, head resting on her forearms. Her father and boyfriend both watched her light breaths ripple through her form, creating small waves against the table. For the first time in a long while, she rested truly peacefully.

            A long, drawn out sigh escaped Sojiro’s lips. “She looks so happy. . . I guess that’s all I need to know that this is the right choice. You’re going to take good care of her, right?”

            “I promise.” Akira didn’t look away from his lover, but nodded firmly to reassure Sojiro that he meant it.

            “Good. . . It’s all happening so fast, isn’t it? It was only a few months ago that she finally managed to get outside her room, and now she’s off to high school and has her first boyfriend. Who knew being a dad would be so difficult?” He laughed.

            “It’s a good thing that you’re worried. It shows how much you care about her.”

            “I guess she means the world to both of us.” He donned a fatherly smile. “I’ll take good care of her when you have to go back home, but you’d better come back as soon as you can. I doubt she’ll forgive you if you don’t visit often, and we both know who’ll be the one dealing with her tantrums if you’re not here.”

            “I would never stay away,” he insisted with a nod.

            “Oh, and just because I’ve given you permission doesn’t mean you can try any funny business. Run it by me when you’re going out on a date or something.”

            “I will, Sakura-san.”

            “And don’t keep her out past midnight. I don’t want to stay up too late waiting for you two to get home.”

            “Of course, Sakura-san.”

            “And if you’re going on dates alone, you better write down exactly what happen—“

            Akira couldn’t contain his laughter. “Boss, it’s okay! I’m not going to try anything!”

            “I-I know that! It’s just— . . .” He pinched the bridge of his nose and laughed. “Looks like it’s harder to stop worrying than I thought. Just . . . be good to her, okay?”

            Akira offered him a firm nod. “Yes sir.”

            “Again with the good behavior. . . I guess this could be a good thing. I could get used to you being so respectful all the time.” Sojiro winked teasingly before approaching the sleeping Futaba and delicately lifting her. “I’m gonna take her home. Remember to lock up for me, okay? And sleep well.”

            Akira waved as they left and sighed, taking all the steps necessary to lock up before heading upstairs. He looked to the floor in front of him, where Morgana stretched his back. “Looks like all’s well that ends well, right Joker?”

            He bent down and brushed Morgana’s back with his fingers. “I owe you big time, Morgana. You really helped me out there.”

            “No problem! Helping each other out is a part of our deal, after all.” Morgana leapt up onto the mattress and curled up atop it. “Just remember how amazing I am next time I need _your_ help.”

            “I’ll keep that in mind,” said Akira as he slipped into more comfortable clothes.

            “You’d better. Now c’mon. Let’s get some sleep.” Morgana closed his eyes as Akira crawled into bed.

            For the first time in a long while, he didn’t find himself staring at the ceiling wondering what he needed to do tomorrow, or how things were going to work out. He didn’t find himself planning out dates in his head, or thinking up explanations to Sojiro. He didn’t find himself worrying about whether or not the perfect future he and Futaba had envisioned would ever come to pass.       

            For the first time in a long while, he rested truly peacefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading this story! I was thinking about writing a few more chapters of their happy ending, but I figured this wasn't really the fic for that; with the conflict resolved, there wasn't much more to say. However, I will be writing more stories about these two, and some other things, in the future, so please stay with me as I write more! Special thanks to all the people who've commented on my story on every chapter, and for all the people who left kudos. Thank you all so much, and I hope to see you in the next story!


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